There were a great many Stonechats in the Vale when I was there this year (1878).  Generally they seemed earlier in their breeding proceedings than either Wheatears, Tree Pipits, or Sky Larks, which were the three other most numerous birds about that part of the Island, as there were several young ones about when we first went to live in the Vale early in June; still occasionally nests with eggs more or less hard sat might be found, but the greater number were hatched when fresh eggs of Tree Pipits and Sky Larks were by no means uncommon.

Professor Ansted includes the Stonechat in his list, but marks it as confined to Guernsey and Sark.  There is a specimen in the Museum.

33.  WHINCHAT. Pratincola rubetra, Linnaeus.  French, “Tarier ordinaire,” “Traquet tarier.”—­The Whinchat seems to me never so numerous as the Stonechat, and more local in its distribution during the time it is in the Islands.  It is only a summer visitant, and I doubt if it always remains to breed, though it certainly does so occasionally, as I have seen it in Guernsey through June and July mostly in the south part of the Island, near Pleimont.  In my last visit to the Islands, however, in June and July, 1878, I did not see the Whinchat anywhere, neither did I see one when there in June, 1876.

Professor Ansted includes the Whinchat in his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark.  There is no specimen in the Museum.

34.  WHEATEAR. Saxicola Oenanthe, Linnaeus.  French, “Motteux cul blanc,” “Traquet moteux.”—­A very common summer visitant to all the Islands, arriving in March and departing again in October, none remaining through the winter—­at least, I have never seen a Wheatear in the Islands as late as November on any occasion.  In the Vale, where a great many breed, the young began to make their appearance out of the nest and flying about, but still fed by their parents, about the 16th of June.  In Guernsey it is rather locally distributed, being common all round the coast, both on the high and low part of the Island, but only making its appearance in the cultivated part in the interior as an occasional straggler.  It is quite as common in Alderney and the other Islands as it is in Guernsey, in Alderney there being few or no enclosures, and no hedgerow timber.  It is more universally distributed over the whole Island, in the cultivated as well as the wild parts.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, but marks it as only occurring in Guernsey and Sark.  There are several specimens in the Museum, but I did not see any eggs either there or in young Le Cheminant’s collection.  This is probably because in Guernsey the Wheatear has a great partiality for laying its eggs under large slabs and boulders of granite perfectly immovable; the stones forming one of the Druids’ altars in the Vale, were made use of to cover a nest when I was there.