192 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



of the most frequently chosen situations is the bank 

 of a hedge, either at the root of the bushes or 

 amongst the tall herbage ; another favourite spot 

 is in beds of nettles or in small bunches of briars 

 and bramble through which tall rank grass is inter- 

 grown. Less commonly a gorse-bush or a low 

 sapling is selected. The. nest is somewhat bulky, 

 a good deal of material being collected, especially 

 for the outer portion. It is made of dry grass, 

 moss, roots and stalks of many kinds of plants, and 

 lined with fine roots and horse-hair. The Yellow 

 Bunting seems to be much attached to its nesting- 

 place, often building in one spot for several seasons 

 in succession ; and continuing to lay ^^<g after ^gg 

 on the ground in the hollow whence the nest may 

 have been removed. The eggs are four or five in 

 number, and are white, more or less suffused with 

 purple in ground-colour, streaked, spotted and lined 

 with dark purplish-brown and grey. From the 

 intricate manner in which the eggs of this Bunting 

 are scrawled and scratched it Is known in many 

 localities as the "Writing Lark." Several broods 

 appear to be reared in the course of the season, 

 which extends to August. The bird Is a very close 

 sitter, and we have known her to feign lameness 

 when scared from the nest. 



The male Yellow Bunting has the head bright 

 lemon-yellow, streaked with brown ; the remainder 

 of the upper parts is chestnut, streaked on the back 



