BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 263 



next species, it begins with a series of abnipt, hard 

 notes, but instead of finishing with a long-di'awn-out 

 note, it ends in a confused jumble of short notes, as 

 if the fabric of sound the humble songster was trying 

 to build up had suddenly fallen clattering about his 

 ears ! Nothing daunted, he pauses for a moment and 

 begins again ; and the traveller may tramp all day along 

 a hot and dusty lowland road, and scarcely ever be 

 out of earshot of at least one Bunting patiently per- 

 sisting in his endeavour to produce a proper song. 

 First we think that ages may reward the Bunting's 

 patience, for, although we see no improvement, the 

 march of evolution is always too slow for us to gauge 

 its passage. But, again, we surmise that perhaps no 

 higher form of song is being aimed at ; that this 

 apparent musical failure may represent perfection judged 

 by the standard of the songster and his mate, for the 

 Bunting sings not for our pleasure, but to express his own 

 overflowing vitality, whether or not that be for the time 

 directed into the channel of some particular ' emotion.' 



In a situation such as we have already indicated, the 

 Bunting makes a loose cup of dry grass, roots, and 

 the like, and lines it with hair. Late in May the 

 four or five eggs are laid in this nest. They are white 

 in ground-colour, with a faint purple tinge, while the 

 markings are of dark purple. The markings may be 

 blotches or long, narrow streaks. The latter are typical 

 of the eggs of Buntings in general, and have earned for 

 the birds many popular names, such as ' Scribbling Larks.** 

 The Corn-Bunting is a rather coarsely built bird, and 

 the undulating flight is ' heavy ' in appearance. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage. The name ' Common Bunting,' 

 sometimes used in books, is not very appropriate, owing 

 to the abundance of the next species. 



