THE YELLOW BUNTING 189 



in its choice of a haunt, and may be met almost 

 everywhere in agricultural districts. It is pre- 

 eminently a bird of the hedgerows and the roadsides 

 in country places, and one that is sure to be met 

 with, especially in winter-time, in the vicinity of 

 farm-yards, manure-heaps and ricks. The Yellow 

 Bunting is a resident in the British Islands, but the 

 sedentary population is considerably increased in 

 autumn by arrivals from continental Europe. During 

 the winter months this bird is to a large extent 

 gregarious, and also socially joins assemblies of 

 other hard-billed species. These flocks of Yellow 

 Buntings frequent the newly-sown fields and the 

 stubbles laid down with clover ; whilst a heavy fall 

 of snow will cause them to visit farm-yards and ricks, 

 where they may often be seen clinging to the corn- 

 stacks, or searching for food on manure-heaps, or 

 congregating about the barns and stables. If dis- 

 turbed, the entire flock usually fly up into the nearest 

 trees or hedges ; sometimes the birds perch on the 

 roofs of the buildings ; and here they sit until one 

 after the other they flit back to the feeding-place 

 and recommence their search for food. Very pretty 

 do these Buntings look amongst the snow, especially 

 when a large flock is busily engaged in feeding, old 

 birds fluttering here and there or rising up into the 

 hedges, or sitting in the snow, where their richly- 

 coloured plumage shows off to advantage. This 

 Bunting runs more than hops, resembling a Chaffinch 



