250 FRINGILLTDiE. 



The young of Buntings resemble the female, but are character- 

 ized, where striation is present, by a greater amount of streaking. 

 At the autumn moult of the first year the young assume the 

 plumage of the adult female, and then the males gradually put on 

 the plumage of the adult male, the process taking several months. 



The Buntings frequent cornfields, waste lands, and grassy tracts 

 of country. They are more or less gregarious. They devour grain 

 in large quantities and also feed on seeds of all sorts. Their nests 

 are cup-shaped and placed on or near the ground in grass and 

 bushes, and sometimes in crevices of rocks and walls. The eggs, as 

 a rule, are richly marked with spots and lines of red and purple. 



With the exception of one Bunting which is crested, all the 

 Indian species appear to me to be sufficiently similar in structure 

 to be congeneric, and I have accordingly placed them all in the 

 genus Emberiza. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. No crest Emberiza, p. 250. 



b. A well-developed crest Melophus, p. 265. 



Genus EMBERIZA, Briss., 1760. 



Fig. 70. — Head of E. aureola. 



The genus Emberiza contains the typical Buntings, which are 

 crestless and have a slightly forked tail. 



Key to the Species *. 



a. A large distinct white patch on the 

 outermost tail-feather. 

 a'. Sides of body streaked or differ- 

 ently coloured to abdomen. 

 «". No trace of yellow on lower 

 plumage. 

 a'". Chin and throat black. 



a 4 . Breast white E. schanichis $ , p. 251. 



ft 4 . Breast chestnut E. stewarti <$ , p. 256. 



//". Chin and throat chestnut .. E. leucocephala <S , p. 254. 



* This key applies only to fully adult birds, and the margins of the feathers 

 in winter plumage are disregarded, the colours noted being tbose which are 

 most fully developed at tbe breeding-season. 



