ORTOLAN BUNTING. 155 
The breeding-season of the Ortolan Bunting is in the second half of May, 
when fresh eggs may be obtained. The nest is always placed on the 
ground amongst herbage, generally in a slight hollow, and is formed 
of dry grass and roots, lined with fine roots or hair. The eggs of the 
Ortolan Bunting are from four to six in number. They vary from the 
palest of bluish white to pale salmon-colour, spotted, streaked, and 
blotched with rich purple-brown almost black, and with underlying spots 
of pale violet. The ground-colour of some eggs is very pink. Many of 
the spots are very large and round, and the streaks are generally short 
and isolated. Most of the markings are on the large end of the egg, where 
they form an irregular zone. The eggs vary in length from ‘88 to °75 
inch, and in breadth from -67 to °58 inch. They vary considerably in 
shape, some specimens being almost round, whilst others are considerably 
elongated, and some are oval. The eggs of the Ortolan Bunting do not 
resemble very closely those of any other British species. Perhaps they 
approach most closely to those of the Reed-Bunting; but the ground- 
colour is always clearer and paler, and the markings usually consist of 
spots not streaks. 
The adult male Ortolan Bunting, immediately after the autumn moult, 
has the general colour of the entire head, neck, and upper breast slate- 
grey, strongly suffused with yellow. The chin, throat, and a moustachial 
line, the lores and the feathers round the eye are yellow. The general 
colour of the rest of the plumage, except the wings and tail, is dull chest- 
nut, the feathers of the upper parts having dark brown centres, which 
are most obscure on the rump and upper tail-coverts; the wings and 
tail are brown, the two outside feathers of the latter on each side having 
large patches of white extending nearly over the terminal half of the in- 
side webs; there are two obscure bars across the wings formed by the 
greater and median wing-coverts being tipped with pale chestnut. Bill 
flesh-colour, in summer changing to reddish flesh-colour ; legs, feet, and 
claws reddish brown; irides dark brown. The breeding-plumage 1s 
attained by casting the ends of the feathers, thus causing the yellow 
almost to disappear from the slate-grey parts of the head and breast; the 
chestnut on the lower breast becomes much deeper in colour from the 
same cause. The female differs from the male in having the colours 
generally paler and not so rich, the head and nape being browner and 
streaked with dark brown; and the grey on the sides of the neck and on 
the breast is replaced by brownish grey, streaked with dark brown; the 
yellow throat is also sparingly spotted with brown; and the rest of the 
underparts are much paler than in the male. Males of the year somewhat 
resemble females in having dark shaft-lines to the feathers of the head. 
Young in first plumage resemble the female, but are more spotted. 
