The Little Bunting. 



Perching Birds. 



duller in colour than the male, is not so 

 often seen, but the latter is often a con- 

 spicuous object by the river-side, as he sits 

 on the top of a reed or bush and utters his 

 twittering call-note ; his black and white 

 head and neck render him easily recognis- 

 able. The nest is generally found in 

 marshy ground in a clump of rushes or in 

 a bush where tl;e surrounding plants help 



to conceal it. I have, however, taken a nest at some little height above the ground 

 in a bush, and in Norway I have twice found a nest at some distance from water, 

 built upon the ground under the roots of a small birch tree. In each case the j'oung 

 were well advanced before the nest was discovered, so well was the latter concealed, 

 though placed within a few feet of a well-frequented path. I was led to suspect the 

 presence of a nest in both instances through the action of the parent-birds, who 

 pretended to be wounded and were nearly caught by the hand, as they fluttered along 

 the ground, trying to draw me away from the vicinity of the nest. The eggs are 

 boldly marked, being of a stone-brown colour with very distinct writing-lines and 

 spots of black. 



Only one occurrence of this Bunting has as yet been recorded in 

 England, a specimen having been captured near Brighton in Novem- 

 ber, 1864. As, however, the species visit Heligoland during the 

 autumn migration, and has occurred occasionally in Holland, it may 

 be expected to occur more frequently in Great Britain than has been hitherto supposed. 

 It is a smaller bird than the Reed Bunting, but has the sides of the body striped with 



black as in that bird. It is, moreover, 

 easily distinguished by the chestnut 

 colour on the ear-coverts and throat. 



In its native home in Siberia, the 

 Little Bunting is said to be remarkably 

 tame, but in its winter home in India and 

 Burma, where it assembles in flocks after 

 the manner of other Buntings, it is 

 very shy in its habits. The nests 

 found by Mr. Seebohm on the Yenesei 

 River were simply holes made in the 

 dead leaves, moss, and grass, and lined 

 with dead grass or reindeer-hair. The 

 eggs are like those of the Corn Bunting, 

 but are smaller. 

 Thk Black Hkadki. Bunting j^^ Rustic Binting lEmberiza 



The Rustic Bunting. 



THE LITTLE 



BUNTING. 



(Emberiza 



piisilln.) 



