EMBERIZIN.t. 



217 



THE RUSTIC BUNTING. 



Emberiza rustica, Pallas. 



The first example of the Rustic Bunting known to have occurred 

 in England was caught near Brighton, on October 23rd 1867, and 

 was shown alive to the late Mr. G. D. Rowley ; it is now in the 

 collection of Mr. T. J- Monk of Lewes. A second, identified and 

 recorded by Mr. W. E. Clarke (Zool. 18S1, p. 465), exhibited at a 

 meeting of the Zoological Society, and now in the York Museum, 

 was shot on the Holderness coast, Yorkshire, on September 17th 

 1 88 1, the same day on which a young bird of this species was 

 obtained at Heligoland by Giitke. The late Lord Lilford stated 

 (Zool. 1883, p. 2^) that a young male was sent to him in the 

 flesh, which had been taken by a bird-catcher at Elstree reservoir, 

 near London, on November 19th 1882. 



The Rustic Bunting is an eastern species which is gradually 

 extending its range westward, and is nov/ known to wander to 

 Sweden, while it occurs annually and even breeds in East Finland. 

 Giitke possessed eight specimens taken on Heligoland (two of them 

 in April), and as many more have been obtained there ; while 

 stragglers have occurred from time to time in Holland, Germany, 

 Austria, the south of France, the north of Italy and twice in the 

 south-east (Apulia), and once near Constantinople. From Arch- 

 angel eastward it is found, increasingly, across Siberia, visiting 

 Kamchatka and even Bering Island ; while the late Dr. von Mid- 

 kendorff found it paired and apparently nesting in the Stanovoi 



