THE BIRDS OF COOKHAM AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. 107 
possession, a Snow Bunting in winter plumage, which was shot 
at Cookham some years ago and preserved by him. The speci- 
men is now in my collection. 
Genus CYNCHRAMUS. 
Cynchramus miliarius. The Common Bunting. 
I cannot justify the epithet of ‘‘common”’ with respect to this 
bird at Cookham, for it is decidedly rare, being only found in a 
few localities. I have tried several times to get one lately with- 
out success, nor does my collection contain a Cookham specimen. 
It used to be by no means rare in the fields by the side of the 
railway leading to Cock Marsh, and was often to be seen sitting 
on the hedge or the palings uttering its note, which is wonder- 
fully like that of the Yellow-Ammer, but without the charac- 
teristic ending to the song of that better-known bird. The 
present species is also called by the local names of Corn Bunting 
or Bunting Lark. I found the Bunting by no means rare in 
Huntingdonshire, and I collected several there, none of which 
now remain in my hands; but in the South of England it is 
apparently far less common, the only specimen recently obtained 
being a male caught at Hampstead in April last. 
Genus EMBERIZA. 
Emberiza citrinella. The Yeliow-Ammer. 
This well-known bird, also called the ‘‘ Writing Lark’ from 
the peculiarity of the marking of the eggs, is common in the 
neighbourhood, 
Emberiza hortulana. The Ortolan Bunting. 
In Mr. Clark-Kennedy’s Birds of Berks. the present species is 
inserted on the authority of three specimens having been shot at 
Cookham some years ago. Mr. Briggs informed me of the 
circumstance. 
Emberiza cirlus. The Cirl Bunting. 
This bird is always associated in my mind with some of my 
pleasantest recollections of Mr. Briggs, as he was never tired of 
telling me the story of its discovery by him at Cookham. The 
first specimen obtained was at Formosa on some very tall elms 
and, as he was walking near these in company with his brother, 
