12 Mr. J. A. Buckuill on the 



of February, and from that time until the early autumn is 

 very conspicuous. We took eggs in May and specimens 

 from February to June. It keeps to the cultivated lands 

 and we did not notice it in the forest heights. 



503. Emberiza melanocephala Scop. 



There is little doubt that Sibthorp refers to the Black- 

 headed Bunting when he mentions having been greatly 

 struck by a beautiful Fringilla, " perhaps," he says, " the 

 F. flaveola of Linnaeus." He gives the Greek name 

 " OKapOaXis " by which the bird is still well-known in 

 Cyprus. Sibthorp met with it at the end of April. As 

 U F. flaveola Linn.?" it, of course, appears in Unger and 

 Kotschy's list, but they add also Emberiza melanocephala, a 

 name which was not used by Sibthorp. Lord Lilford 

 found it in great abundance near Trikomo and on the 

 south coast of the Karpas and drew attention to the prepon- 

 derance in number of the males. Miiller mentions many 

 specimens and two clutches of eggs taken in May. Guille- 

 mard found a few on Troodos, but considered its true home 

 to be on the northern coast, and he also observed that the 

 males were much in numerical superiority. Glaszner sent 

 many to Madanisz taken on the southern range in May and 

 June, a melanistic specimen being amongst them. Mr. 

 Baxendale noted its arrival at Fapho on the 22nd of April ; 

 Horsbrugh found it in plenty and took several nests in 

 various localities in the following mouth (1909). 



It is a common summer visitor, arriving at the end of 

 April or beginning of May and breeding freely in the hills 

 very shortly after its arrival. It leaves early, and I do not 

 recollect any being seen later than the end of August. Its 

 nest is not hard to find and we took clutches of six eggs ; 

 but five seem to be the usual complement. 



515. Emberiza hortulana Linn. 



The Ortolan has long been popularly supposed to be 

 common in Cyprus and one of, if not the ordinary, species 

 which are caught in large numbers and sold as " beccaficoes." 



