_Motacilla œnanthe_, LINN. Syst. Nat. I, 1758, 186. _Saxicola
œnanthe_, BECHST. “Gemein. Naturg. 1802,” and of European
authors.—HOLBÖLL, Orn. Grœn. (Paulsen ed.), 1846, 23
(Greenland).—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 220 (Europe); Review,
61.—JONES, Nat. Bermuda, 1859, 28 (Bermuda).—COUES, Pr. A. N. S.
1861, 218 (Labrador).—REINHARDT, Ibis, 1861, 5 (Greenland).—DALL
& BANNISTER (Alaska). _Saxicola œnanthoides_, VIGORS, Zoöl.
Blossom, 1839, 19 (N. W. America).—CASSIN, Ill. I, 1854, 208, pl.
xxxiv (Nova Scotia).
SP. CHAR. (Description from European specimen.) Male in spring,
forehead, line over the eye, and under parts generally white; the
latter tinged with pale yellowish-brown, especially on the breast and
throat. A stripe from the bill through, below, and behind the eye,
with the wings, upper tail-coverts, bill and feet, black. Tail white,
with an abrupt band of black (about .60 of an inch long) at the end,
this color extending further up on the middle feather. Rest of upper
parts ash-gray; quills and greater coverts slightly edged with
whitish. Length, 6.00; wing, 3.45; tail, 2.50; tarsus, 1.05.
Autumnal males are tinged with rusty; the black markings brown. The
female in spring is reddish-gray; lores and cheeks brown; the black
markings generally brownish, and not well defined. Eggs pale light
blue. Nest on ground.
HAB. An Old World species (Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia),
abundant in Greenland, found probably as an autumnal migrant in
Labrador, Canada, Nova Scotia, Bermuda, etc. Occurs also on Norton
Sound, near Behring’s Straits. Very occasional in the Eastern States:
Long Island.
[Illustration: _Saxicola œnanthe._
18075]
This bird appears to be abundant in Norton Sound, from which region
Mr. Dall has recently brought specimens in full spring plumage. These
are decidedly smaller than birds from Labrador and Greenland, but not
distinguishable, and seem to agree precisely with skins from Central
Europe.
HABITS. The well-known Wheat-ear is entitled to a place in our fauna,
not only as an accidental visitor, but also as an occasional resident.
Dr. H. R. Storer, of Boston, found them breeding in Labrador in the
summer of 1848, and procured specimens of the young birds which were
fully identified by Dr. Samuel Cabot as belonging to this species. In
the following year Andrew Downs, of Halifax, gave me the specimen
described and figured by Mr. Cassin. This was secured late in the
summer near Cape Harrison, Labrador, where it had evidently just
reared its brood. In 1860 Mr. Elliott Coues obtained another specimen
on the 25th of August, at Henley Harbor. It was in company with two
others, and was in immature plumage. Its occurrence in considerable
numbers on the coast of Labrador is further confirmed by a writer (“W.
C.”) in “The Field,” for June 10, 1871, who states that when in that
region during the months of May and June he saw a number of “White
Ears,” the greater proportion of them being males. He inferred from
this that they breed in that country, the apparent scarcity of females
being due to their occupation in nesting. Mr. Lawrence has one in his
cabinet from Long Island, and the Smithsonian Institution one from
Quebec. Specimens have also been obtained in the Bermudas.
Holböll, in his paper on the fauna of Greenland, is of the opinion
that the individuals of this species that occur there come from
Europe, make their journey across the Atlantic without touching at
Iceland, and arrive in South Greenland as early in the season as it
does at the former place, the first of May. It reaches Godhaven a
month later, at times when all is snowbound and the warmth has not yet
released the insects on which it feeds. It is found as far north as
the 73d parallel, and even beyond. In September it puts on its winter
dress and departs.
Mr. Dall states that several large flocks of this species were seen at
Nulato, May 23 and 24, 1868, and a number of specimens obtained. They
were said to be abundant on the dry stony hill-tops, but were rare
along the river.
The Wheat-ear is one of the most common birds of Europe, and is found,
at different seasons, throughout that continent as well as in a large
portion of Western Asia. It breeds throughout the British Islands as
well as in the whole of Northern Europe and Asia.
Its food is principally worms and insects, the latter of which it
takes upon the wing, in the manner of a fly-catcher. The male bird is
said to sing prettily, but not loudly, warbling even when on the wing,
and hovering over its nest or over its partner. In confinement its
song is continued by night as well as by day.
The Wheat-ear begins to make its nest in April, usually concealing it
in some deep recess beneath a huge stone, and often far beyond the
reach of the arm. Sometimes it is placed in old walls, and is usually
large and rudely constructed, made of dried bents, scraps of shreds,
feathers, and rubbish collected about the huts, generally containing
four pale blue eggs, uniform in color, and without spots, which
measure .81 of an inch in length by .69 in breadth.