54 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Family FRINGILLID/I5. ' " Genus Emberiza. 



Sub-family RMBEKIZIN/E. 



C I R L BUNTING. 



Emberiza cirlus, Linnccus, 

 Double Brooded. Laying season, May to July. 



British breeding area : Few of our British birds 

 have a more restricted breeding area than the Ciil 

 Bunting. It breeds more or less sparingly and locally 

 along the southern counties of England, from Cornwall 

 to Kent ; thence its range has been traced northwards 

 through Surrey, Middlesex, Hertford, Bedford, and 

 along the counties watered by the Thames to Gloucester, 

 and in the counties of the Avon and Severn valleys to 

 Warwick, Worcester, and Hereford, 



Breeding habits : The principal breeding-haunts 

 of the Cirl Bunting are farm lands, gorse and bramble- 

 covered commons, and the lanes and highways near 

 them, in which plenty of trees and tall hedges occur. In 

 Devonshire it frequents very similar haunts to those 

 selected by the Yellow Bunting, although it is everywhere 

 more partial to trees. The Cirl Bunting pairs towards the 

 end of March or early in April. The nest, cunningly 

 concealed, is usually placed in a low gorse bush, or 

 amongst a thicket of briar and bramble. At other times 

 it is built on a hedge-bank amongst the luxuriant 

 growth of weeds, or wedged amongst the roots of the 

 hedge-bushes. Generally, the nest is close to the ground, 

 if not absolutely upon it, but occasionally it is situated 

 as much as six feet above it. Externally it is made of 

 roots, dry grass, and leaves, moss, *' bull polls " or 

 " twitch," and internally of fmer roots and hair. Accord- 

 ing to circumstances the hair is omitted. It is somewhat 

 loosely put together, but the interior is smooth and 



