1884-85-] Edinbtt-rgh Naturalists' Field Club. 205 



couutry often as frequently as five times a-day, for ten days in 

 succession, I noticed one particular Bunting always perched on a 

 wire fence. When within three to four hundred yards of his haunt 

 the note was quite audible, and notwithstanding the many times of 

 passing he was never absent once, and never in any case fifty yards 

 distant from a certain point which he had made his headquarters. 

 If we can learn no other lesson from this bird, it at least inculcates 

 upon us the merit of patience. A further peculiarity which dis- 

 tinguishes it from other small birds is one which, to observe, it is 

 necessary tliat the spectator be in close proximity. As he rises 

 from his perch he almost always allows his legs to dangle straight 

 down, and flies off in that manner until, once fairly on the wing, 

 he raises them up in the mode common to most species. A wall, 

 a fence, the top of a small tree, or tall plant, are favourite points of 

 vantage. The nest is placed, as a rule, on or quite close to the 

 ground, among long grass or other rank vegetation ; and though, 

 on the whole, it is not what might be termed a shy bird, yet at 

 times it is easily heightened from its position on the approach of an 

 intruder. 



The Eeed or Black-headed Bunting is much more clearly defined 

 in plumage, the male in his nuptial dress having a beautiful jet- 

 black head and throat, which forms a marked contrast to the 

 white collar round his neck. In old birds the black and white 

 are much clearer than in less matured examples, in the latter 

 the purity of colouring being marred by the presence of dirty 

 brownish feathers, which mingle with the black and white. In 

 winter the black of the head becomes of a brownish tint, the points 

 of the feathers being of that colour, whereas in spring the ends 

 wear off and reveal the black which forms the groundwork. 

 The female has no black head, but instead it is oif a reddish- 

 brown hue, and in place of the white cravat, the feathers at the 

 back of the neck are a dingy grey ; otherwise in general appear- 

 ance it resembles the male. Moist and swampy places are its 

 natural habitat — the sides of rivers, ponds, lakes, especially 

 where there are reeds and long coarse herbage. In the Highlands 

 it is very common in those wet areas where rivers separate into 

 various smaller branches before falling into lochs, and which locali- 

 ties are usually studded with clumps of Alder and Saugh trees. In 

 tufts of coarse grass or among reeds it builds its nest, and displays 

 occasionally great alarm when one inadvertently approaches too near 

 the site. Some writers indeed assert that it feigns lameness, like 

 the Lapwing, and resorts to other devices to draw off the inter- 

 loper ; but for my own part I never saw it do anything that could 

 be construed into such actions, though it is most likely to be true, 

 considering the experience of those upon whose authority the 

 statement is published. It is not always safe to credit every 



VOL. I. P 



