CORRESPONDENCE. 89 



affixed your own remarks. The Hooded Crow (Corvus comix) does not, to my 

 knowledge, build in Lincolnshire. The Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) is the 

 species alluded to as sitting on the 10th of April. In the same article read Whist- 

 ling Plover (Charadrius pluvialis) for Stone Thicknee ((Edicnemus crepitans). 

 Mr. Salmon is most probably right in his remarks on the structure of the King- 

 fisher's nest, as the one referred to by myself, at page 274, is the only specimen I 

 have had an opportunity of examining, and which certainly appeared to me to be 

 a regularly-formed nest. When remarking that it was not very unlike that of a 

 Thrush, I alluded to the thickness of the walls of the nest, and the clay inter- 

 mixed with the fishes' bones, and not to the compactness of the structure. — I 

 hope, in accordance with Mr. Dillon's wish, some further remarks will be made 

 by your correspondents on the position of the Goldcrest's nest. That it is open 

 at the top, that it is built sometimes without the appearance of any cordage 

 whatever, and also that in some positions it only uses the cord of moss partially 

 is certain ; but that it never uses it entirely to support the nest, I believe I am 

 not guilty of saying ; though certainly in the cases that I have examined it has 

 not been so. 



Distribution of the Corn Bunting. 



Over every part of the North Wold of Lincolnshire the Bunting (Emberiza 

 miliaria) may be considered a common bird. And though I agree with Dr. 

 Liverpool that it is a species much overlooked on account of the brown hue of 

 its plumage, yet I cannot but differ from him in the effect which this produces. 

 For as far as I can judge, E. miliaria is more frequently mistaken for Alauda 

 arvensis (for the name of Lark is universally given to this species ; vide also 

 Jenyns's Ornithology of Cambridgeshire, p. 16) than other brown birds for E. 

 miliaria ; and to casual observers this would render the species more scarce than 

 it is in reality. I cannot think either that any comparison can be drawn between 

 this and the Yellow Bunting (E. citrinella), in as much as the Corn Bunting 

 is partially migratory, and in a great degree local. During spring this bird is 

 numerous, particularly frequenting the cut hedge-rows near road-sides in which 

 single bushes are left standing. From the top-most branch of one of these the 

 Bunting may be heard pouring forth his song ; when disturbed he flies, or rather 

 soars, with his tail and wings expanded, and his legs hanging down until he 

 approaches the next bush ; when commencing his song he rises slowly until he 

 alights on the highest twig, where he finishes his short but not unmelodious 

 strain. During July they become comparatively scarce ; probably they retire to 

 more unfrequented places to breed, for, as Mr. Salmon observes, " they appear 

 late in their nidification." In the last week of August and during September 

 the young collect in flocks, and may be found in almost every field in numbers. 



