EMBERIZIN,E. 



THE YELLOW BUNTING. 



E.MBERIZ.V CITRIXPXI.A, L'nna^iis. 



The Yellow Bunting is familiarly known as the Yellow Hammer, 

 the latter portion of the name having, no doubt, a common origin 

 with ' Ammer,' the modern German word for a Bunting ; but our 

 form of spelling has now been in print for upwards of two cen- 

 turies, and few, even among purists, will risk the imputation of a 

 solecism by omitting the aspirate. Throughout the British Islands 

 this handsome bird is in most parts common and resident ; it 

 even nests in the Outer Hebrides, and sparingly in the Orkneys, 

 but as yet is not known to do so in the Shetlands, although a 

 visitor to that group. 



In Norway this species is found breeding up to about 70° N. lat., 

 hut as we proceed eastward, its northerly summer-range gradually 

 decreases to only 64° on the Ob, in Siberia. South-eastward, it 

 reaches as far as the upper valley of the Yenesei ; while, turning south- 

 westward, we find the bird in Turkestan, Persia and Asia Minor. 

 In temperate Europe it is generally distributed, and, except in the 

 northern districts, is resident ; but its breeding range does not appear 

 to extend south of the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains, and the 

 northern portions of Italy ; while, even in winter, the bird is almost 

 unknown in the islands of the Mediterranean, in Southern Italy, 

 and the South-west of Spain, though said to occur in the Canaries. 

 In Palestine, according to Canon Tristram, its place is taken by a 

 very distinct species, E. acsia, which occasionally wanders to Heli- 



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