BRITISH lUIlDH' NESW. 9 



under a hedge, in a low bush, amongst growing 

 corn, brambles, clover, and peas ; in grass-fields, 

 pastures, clover-fields, and similar places locally 

 distributed throughout the United Kingdom. 



Materials. — Straw and coarse hay or grass-stems 

 outside, lined with fibrous roots, fine grass, and 

 sometimes horsehair. 



Eggs. — Four to six. The ground colour varies 

 from dull purplish-white to pale buff, blotched, 

 spotted, and streaked with light to dark purplish- 

 brown, and underlying markings of grey. They 

 are variable in size, but run larger than those 

 of any other Bmiting breeding with us. Size about 

 •96 by -71 in. 



Time. — May and June. Individual nests may 

 be, however, found as early as the end of April 

 and as late as the beginning of July. 



Hemarks. — Resident, but numbers swollen during 

 winter months by Continental arrivals. Notes, 

 cliiicl' or cliit. Local and other names : Common 

 Bunting, Bunting Lark, Ebb. Sits close. 



BUNTING, REED. Also Eeed Si-arkow. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about six 

 inches. Bill short, conical, and dusky brown on 

 the upper mandible, lighter on the lower. Irides 

 hazel. Head velvety black, bounded by a white 

 collar, which commences near the gape and, de- 

 scending the sides of the neck as far as the breast, 

 passes round the back thereof. Back and Avings 

 rich brownish-black, the feathers being margined 

 broadly with reddish-brown and tawny-grey ; wing- 

 quills dusky, narrowly bordered with tawny-red. 

 Rump and upper tail-coverts black, tinged with 



