ORTOLAN BUNTING. 459 



The back of this bird being very similar in appearance to 

 that of the Cirl Bunting, a front view of this species was 

 given to avoid repetition. 



The whole length of the bird is six inches and one quarter. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, three inches and 

 a half : the first three feathers of the wing equal in length, 

 and the longest in the wing ; the fourth nearly one quarter 

 of an inch shorter than the third. 



The female has the colour of the head more mixed with 

 grey, and streaked with dark brown ; the upper part of the 

 breast spotted with dark brown and the buff colour below, 

 as well as the other colours, generally less vivid. 



Young birds of the year resemble the female. 



M. Temminck, M. Vieillot, and others, well acquainted 

 with this species, refer particularly to the variations that are 

 occasionally found in the colours of its plumage. M. Vieil- 

 lot enumerates six varieties that have occurred, the third of 

 which, his variety C, is described as having the head and neck 

 green. 



The vignette below represents the breast-bones of the 

 Common Bunting and the Black-headed Bunting. 



