THE BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 351 



especially those of the stronger species, so that it often does good service to the farmer, by 

 preventing the increase of these very stubborn weeds. The millet is a very favorite article of 

 food, as may be supposed from the specific name of miliaris, which has been given to the bird 

 by systematic zoologists, and considerable injury is often done to the millet crops by the 

 attacks of the Bunting. 



THE BLACK-THEOATED BUNTING is a native of America, and is rather less than the pre- 

 ceding species. Of this bird and its habits, Wilson writes as follows : 



" They arrive in Pennsylvania, from the south, about the middle of May, descend in the 

 neighborhood of Philadelphia, and seem to prefer level fields covered with rye grass, timothy 

 or clover, where they build their nest, fixing it on the ground, and forming it of fine, dried 

 grass. The female lays five white eggs, sprinkled with specks and lines of black. Like most 

 part of their genus, they are nowise celebrated for musical powers. Their whole song consists 

 of five notes, or more properly of two notes, the first repeated twice, and slowly, the second 



ORTOLAN. Embertza hortvlana. 



thrice, -and rapidly, resembling 'chip-chip, che-che-che.' In their shape and manner they 

 very much resemble the yellow ammers of Britain ; like them, they are fond of mounting to 

 the top of some half-grown tree, and there chirruping for half an hour at a time. 



"In travelling through different parts of New York and Pennsylvania in spring and 

 summer, whenever I came to level fields of deep grass, I have constantly heard these birds 

 around me. In August they become rmite, and soon after, that is, towards the beginning of 

 September, leave us altogether." 



The top of the head is greenish-yellow, the neck is dark ashen-gray, and the back rusty 

 red, touched with black, the same color extending to the wings and tail, but of a darker hue, 

 without the black spots. The chin is white, and the throat is marked with a heart-shaped 

 patch of deep black edged with white. The breast is yellow, and a line of the same hue 

 extends over the eyes and into the lower angle of the bill. The lesser coverts are bay, and the 

 abdomen grayish-white. The total length of the bird is about six inches and a half. 



