44 



BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



1Ru6tic Buntino^ 



John Duncan. 



The Rustic Bunting (yEmberiza rustica, Pallas) is a rare 

 irregular autumn migrant to the British Isles. It also 

 inhabits Northern Russia and Siberia, in winter migrating 

 westward and southward. The adult male in summer has 

 the back and scapulars reddish-brown, with mottlings of 

 black, and bordered broadly with buff; rump, rich chest- 

 nut ; crown and sides of head, black ; eye-stripe and throat, 

 white ; band across chest, rich chestnut ; rectrices, deep 

 brown ; outermost pair of feathers, mostly white ; breast 

 and belly, white ; flanks, streaked broadly with rich chest- 

 nut ; irides, dark brown ; bill, dark brown above, yellowish 

 beneath; legs and feet, yellowish flesh colour. Length, 

 about five inches. The colouration of the female is gener- 

 ally duller than that of the male. 



