YELLOW HAMMER 199 



many pairs or flocks of them, according to the season. 

 In the summer the bright yellow plumage of this bird 

 is most attractive, and always conspicuous. During the 

 winter they gather in flocks and associate with the 

 Chaffinches, Sparrows and others about the farmyards 

 and gardens. 



In his remarks on this species Dr. A. G. Butler says : 

 " The Yellow Hammer (or Bunting) is a very abundant 

 species, and in Kent one meets with it on every ramble ; 

 its brilliant colouring, unsurpassed by that of a Canary, 

 and its funny little, never varying song, make it a general 

 favourite. • In partially cleared waste ground where there 

 is short scrub of about a year's growth, its nest abounds, 

 and the bird sitting close until one is almost upon it, and 

 then flymg ofi' with no little bustle, constantly calls one's 

 attention to the existence of a nest where least expected ; 

 it is, however, so conspicuous an object that there is 

 rarely any difficulty in discovering it. The male Yellow 

 Bunting in breeding plumage appears to vary consider- 

 ably in beauty of plumage, the birds of Mid-Kent appear- 

 ing almost like a distinct species from those of North-west 

 Kent, owing to the much greater development of yellow 

 on the head. The female is much less yellow than the 

 male (excepting in pairs netted in West Kent, which 

 even in breeding plumage differ comparatively little). I 

 have repeatedly tried to get hold of Yellow Hammers in 

 brilhant plumage ; but living on the borders of North- 

 west Kent, I find that the catchers invariably bring me 

 duU-plumaged birds ; the more intelligent have assured 

 me that they have never seen a brightly coloured male 

 Yellow-Hammer in the neighbourhood, which exactly 

 agrees with my own experience. In the males of North 

 Kent, on the other hand, all the males are especially fine 



