EMBERIZIDZ. 163 
In plumage the Common Bunting somewhat re- 
sembles the Sky Lark, but is somewhat larger than 
that bird. The beak is pale yellowish brown, the 
upper mandible the darker ; irides dark hazel; head 
and nape brown, with a narrow streak of dark brown, 
almost black, in the centre of each feather; back and 
scapulars the same, but the markings are larger; the 
tail-coverts nearly the same, with a slight olive tinge 
and the centres of the feathers not so dark; lesser 
wing-coverts dark dusky brown, tipped and partly 
margined with light brown, making a bar of that 
colour across the wing; greater coverts dark brown, 
tipped and rather narrowly margined with light 
brown; quills dusky brown, very slightly margined 
with light brown, tertials more broadly so; tail 
rather lighter than the quills; throat very pale 
brown, speckled with very dark dusky, almost 
black, chiefly in a streak on each side; breast 
the same, but with larger speckles; belly and 
under tail-coverts the same, without the speckles; 
the flanks are rather darker brown, with elongated 
dark streaks ; legs, toes and claws pale yellow-brown. 
Varieties of this bird occasionally occur, the most 
usual more or less white or cream-colour. 
The eggs are of a reddish white or pale purple- 
red ground, streaked and spotted with dark purple- 
brown; about one inch in length by eight lines and 
a half in breadth: this is the description given by 
Yarrell, and corresponds in everything but the length 
