CIRL BUNTING. 157 
ean be little doubt that it is often overlooked. Its habits otherwise very 
closely resemble those of its congener the Yellow Hammer. It chiefly 
frequents the tops of tall trees, and there it usually utters its short and 
unobtrusive song. Montagu states that this bird pairs in April, and con- 
sequently about that period its song is at its best. It generally trills 
its simple song whilst concealed amongst the thick leaves. Sometimes it 
may be noticed on a bare spray, but it usually takes refuge in the cover 
should it be too closely observed. The song of the Cirl Bunting is only a 
few notes, a monotonous trill, something like the song of the Lesser Red- 
pole, or still more like that of the Lesser Whitethroat. It resembles that 
of the Yellow Hammer, but is never ended with the long-drawn note which 
marks the song of that bird. It appears to sing almost as much as its 
commoner ally, and is often heard warbling its monotonous strain in the 
early part of September. The call-note is similar to that of the Yellow 
Hammer, but is not so shrill or prolonged, and sounds like 2 monotonous 
and plaintive chea-che. 
The eggs of the Cirl Bunting are laid early in May, and the nesting- 
site. is usually in a low bush or shrub or amongst briars and brambles. 
Montagu states that it is generally built in furze bushes. At other 
times the bird will select a site similar to that chosen by the Yellow 
Hammer, almost invariably near some trees, where the male bird serenades 
his sittmg mate below. It varies in the height it is placed from the 
ground; some nests are as much as six or seven feet, others only one 
or two feet, whilst, more rarely, it is placed on the ground itself. The 
nest is generally composed of dry grasses, roots, a little moss and twitch, 
and is lined with hair and finer roots. A nest of this bird in my collec- 
tion is somewhat loosely put together, and made externally of various 
plant-stems, blades of grass, roots, and quantities of dead leaves. It is 
lined with one or two scraps of moss, a few pieces of fine grass, and a great 
quantity of short hair. It measures about four inches in outside diameter, 
and is about one and a half inch deep inside. Some nests of this bird 
contain no hair, and are lined with rootlets only, whilst others are 
almost exclusively made of moss and coarse herbage. The eggs of the 
Cirl Bunting are four or five in number, and do not vary very much; 
they are generally bluish or greenish white in ground-colour, blotched, 
spotted, and streaked with very dark brown, almost black. The streaks 
are usually very bold and blotchy, and most numerous on the large end of 
the egg. The underlying spots are generally small and indistinct, and violet- 
grey in colour. Some eggs have the ground-colour dull white, and the 
markings are more of a reddish brown. They vary from 92 to ‘8 inch in 
length, and from ‘7 to 6 inch in breadth. The markings on the eggs of the 
Cirl-Bunting are much darker (almost black) than those on the eggs of the 
Yellow Hammer, and in shape are much rounder and blunter. Other 
