Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/202

 of Sussex, where, until then, they are scarcely met with." The young birds are stated, by Mr. Stewart, to remain a month or six weeks longer than the old.

Throughout our wild mountain-pastures and turf -bogs, as well as the rabbit-burrows, sand-hills, and rocks, that skirt the coast, the wheatear is found in its season, and in the first-mentioned lo- calities, where, even at the most genial period of the year, we. see but few of the feathered tribe, is highly attractive, from the beauty of its plumage, lively habits, and variously uttered song. In the other localities too, we see but few birds in summer, but with the ever-living sea in view, the want of them is not felt, as in the moun- tain solitude. I have walked in the middle of July, over the marine sand-hills of Magilligan from east to west, a distance of about ten miles, and met only with wheatears, larks, tit- larks, and grey-linnets. About artificial embankments, and in populous neighbourhoods, the wheatear will sometimes come under our notice : — at the outer dock-yard of Belfast we have even seen it, robin-like, perched on piles of timber. In its wild haunts around this town, it has become much scarcer of late years, and has deserted some places altogether. The situation of the nest varies according to the haunts, being in old stone walls, on the ground, among debris of rocks, &c. In the last, it may be found about the Giant's Causeway, where the species is numerous. I have been much interested in witnessing their flight here in the middle of June; when, from a considerable height, they descended with motionless wings to the precipitous rocks contiguous to their nests : the body drooping below the wings, and the breast puffed out, impart to them a very singular appearance. The wheatear is not specially looked after for the table in the north of Ireland; for which purpose, indeed, the species does not appear in sufficient numbers.* Rutty, in his Natural History of the county of Dublin, has remarked that "it is excellent food, and very fat, and for its delicacy is by some called the Irish ortolan" (vol.i. p. 313).

Mr. St. John, too, informs us in his 'Wild Sports of the Highlands' that it is never sought after in Morayshire, p. 140.