emberizin^. 377 



The Dwarf Bunting. 



Descr. — Male, above streaked with black, rufous, and grey- 

 brown, most rufous on the back and scapulars, supercilium pale 

 rufcscent, with a broad black line above ; ears, and spot on the 

 nape, rufous ; wings dusky, edged with ruddy olive; tail dusky, 

 with a broad oblique white line on the outer feathers, and a narrower 

 one on the penultimate ; beneath, whitish, with a dusky throat-band, 

 dusky streaks on the breast and flanks, and two dusky lines on the 

 cliin, wliich meet the throat-band. 



Bill horny ; legs pale fleshy brown ; irides brown. Length 

 5;^ inches ; wing 2| ; tail 2;^ ; bill at front f ; tarsus f . The 

 female is dull olive greenish, Avith a rufous tinge; Aving-coverts 

 tipped whitish ; beneath whitish-yellow, sullied on the breast, and 

 streaked on the flanks and sides of the foreneck. 



This small Buntino; is found throughout the Avliole extent of 

 the Himalayas, during the winter. I procured it at Darjeeling; 

 Hodgson in Nepal ; and Adams in the N. W. It frequents 

 bare spots of ground with low bushes, in small flocks. Adams 

 says that it has the habits of a Eedpole. Quite recently I 

 shot one near Kolassee, in the Purneah district, frequenting 

 grass and bushes near a small river, and, as it is not a bird 

 likely to be remarked, it will probably be found in similar places 

 throughout the plains in the Xorth of India, during the cold 

 weather. 



It is an inhabitant, in summer, of Northern and Central Asia, 

 and has been killed in Europe. Swinhoe saAV it in occasional 

 flocks in China, during Avinter. 



2nd. — Yellow Corn-buntings. 

 Gen. EusPiZA, Bonap. 

 Char. — Bill strong, sub-conic, with the mandibles about equal, 

 and scarcely a trace of a palatal knob ; Avings and tail rather long, 

 firm. 



These Buntings visit various parts of India in large flocks, 

 during the winter, and are very destructive to the crops of grain. 

 The two most typical species have no white on the outer tail- 

 feathers. 



3 B 



