The Oologists' Record, September i, 1922. 51 



unmistakable. In 1918, I managed to secure five stale eggs in the 



first week of July, which measured as follows : — ■ 



4.7.18 ... c/2 Stale -Sq x -68 "i . . ^ 



r, , ^ , rZ . Average of =5 eggs = 



4.7.18 ... c/i Stale -86 x -64 ^ o c r x. x 



re , r^ , '-. . \ •S73 X -653 (mches). 



6.7.18 ... c/2 Stale -^7 x -64 J /-^ ^ J-^ v ; 



On May 16, 1920, I secured a clutch of four fresh eggs, but, 

 unfortunatety, I did not take their measurements. 



Measurements of individual eggs are :— 



Maximum length -89 x -69. Minimum length -86 x -64. 



breadth -89 x -69. ,, breadth -86 x -64. 



, The principal breeding season is during May, after which month 



fresh eggs are only hkely to be found in late nests, and only one 



brood is normally reared in the season. 



The birds seemed to disappear in August or even earlier. 



The eggs are fairly large for the size of the bird, and of a greyish 

 or greenish-white ground colour with olive-brown, greyislvgreen and 

 ohve-green spots and streaks on the surface, and paler shell markings 

 of slate-grey. In shape they are broad ovals and hardly pointed at 

 all. The markings are not at all typical of those usually found on 

 Buntings' eggs, and the curious pencilhngs are conspicuous by 

 their absence. 



Ember iza caesia. Cretzschmar's Bunting. 



This is a very common summer visitor in the Judean hills, 



though its nests are by no means easy to find. I am not well enough 



acquainted with it to say M^hether it has two broods in the season, 



but in the summer of 1918, which was abnormal, as fighting was 



going on in the hills, the birds had undoubtedly nested in March and 



April, and were nesting again in June. In May, full-fledged young 



birds were found to be very numerous. The nest, such as it is, is 



exceedingly well concealed, and usually placed beneath a tussock of 



grass, a small bush or shrub, on the rocky hillside, and the brooding 



bird sits very tight. As in the case of all the Buntings, the cock 



bird is apt to give away the position of the nest very readily. Eggs 



taken in 1918 measured in inches are : — 



2.6.18 c/2 Hatching out -74 x -60 ^ . 



or o , c•^^ ji J o- r Average of 8 cggs == 



8.6.18 c/2 Stale and bad -815 x -62 > ^ ^^ 



14.6.18 c/4 Hatching out -8125 x -63 J '^^ ^ ^ '^' 



Maximum length -8^ x -63. Minimum length -74 X -60. 

 breadth -83 x -63. ,, breadth -74 X -60. 



