THE CIRL BUNTING 



usually terminates that bird's refrain. The Yellow Bunting 

 will sit delicately poised on some tall bending twig at the 

 top of the hedge and sing incessantly even though we are 

 close at hand ; but the shy little Cirl Bunting is much more 

 wary, and too close observation invariably sends him into 

 the thickest parts of the trees, where he remains concealed 

 until the danger has passed or he regains his confidence and 

 hops out on to a bare branch and sings once more. The 

 song begins in April with the advent of spring, and is con- 

 tinued through the summer, becoming less frequent in June 

 and July, and finally terminating in the autumnal moult. I 

 have heard this little bird sing in autumn, but the event is 

 rare and may be classed with the uncertain music of the 

 Chaffinch at that season. 



The Cirl Bunting, although it spends the greater part of 

 its time amongst the branches, visits the ground to search for 

 food, and there its actions are very similar to those of its 

 congener. In spring it often visits the newly-sown land to 

 pick up the scattered grain, and in autunm it frequents the 

 broad brown stubbles for a similar purpose. It may be seen 

 hopping about the rough weedy pastures, occasionally running 

 a few feet to catch an insect. When flushed it rises quickly, 

 and its flight is very much like that of the Yellow Bunting — 

 powerful, but drooping, erratic, and undecided. When at rest 

 on a twig it frequently wafts its tail up and down, and is 

 incessantly uttering its harsh call-note. Early in the vernal 

 year the Cirl Bunting becomes very pugnacious, and rival males 

 often chase each other through the trees with great rapidity, 

 all the time uttering a series of sharp call-notes. The pairing 

 season is at hand, and shortly afterwards we may expect to 

 find the simple little nest. There is much in the nesting 

 economy of the Cirl Bunting which is interesting. In the 

 first place the nest is generally built at some distance from 

 the ground, rarely on it. A site is often selected amongst the 



