io6 Thk Bi.ack-Headed Bunting 



Family -I-'RIX(]ILLID.-E. Suhjamily- EMBERIZIA\-E. 



The Black-Headed Euntixo. 



Eiiiho'iza ))!c!iiiioiipliaia, ScOP. 



IN spite of tlic fact that the Black- headed Buutiug has hardly auy claim to be 

 called a British bird, it is necessary to give an account and illustration of it, 



in order that the confusion existing in the minds of many, respecting this 

 species and the Reed Bunting, may be abolished. 



Dr. Sharpe summarizes the distribution of this bird as follows : — " Southern 

 Europe from Asia Minor and Greece, westwards to Southern German}^ and Southern 

 France, eastwards to North-western and Central ludia." Howard Saunders says: — 

 "In Greece, Turkey, the Danubian Provinces, Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Pales- 

 tine, and Northern Persia, it is common from the end of April to autumn, after 

 which it leaves for its winter quarters in North-western and Central India." 



Gatke, speaking of it in Heligoland observes: — "I obtained the first example 

 of this large and handsome Bunting on the 4th of June, 1845 ^ i*^ i'' ''^^i old male 

 in which, singularly, the normal black markings of the head not only extend 

 downwards along the sides of the neck, but the fore-neck also has a long black 

 longitudinal patch. Since that time the species has occurred here about fifteen 

 times, and has been killed in most of these cases." 



When Seebohm published his History of British Birds, Vol. II, in 1884, only 

 one example of this .species had been obtained, it was shot by Mr. Robert Brazener, 

 on Brighton racecourse, on the 3rd November, 1868. In 1888, Howard Saunders 

 was able to add two occurrences of the Black-headed Bunting (Manual British 

 Birds, p. 197) one recorded by the Rev. J. R. Ashworth (in the "Zoologist" for 

 1886, p. 73) as having been shot in Nottinghamshire; and the other as having 

 been captured about November 5th, 1886, near Dunfermline, and exhibited at the 

 Crystal Palace Show, February 12th to 17th, 1887, where it was recognized by 

 the late Rev. H. A. Macpherson. It was then purchased by Mr. J. C. Steele, of 

 Beckenham, who exhibited it at the Palace every 5-ear up to 1891, taking a first 

 prize up to 1890. In 1891 it was recognized and labelled as "Black-headed 

 Bunting " by the late Mr. Jenner Weir at the West Kent Ornithological Show ; 

 but, knowing that the carelessness of some popular writers had prejudiced the 



