10 



Case 126. 



YELLOW BUNTING (Ember iza citrinella). 



Local names : Yellow Hammer, Yellow Yoldring, Bessy Blakeling. . 

 A common resident, abundant everywhere, frequenting farmyards 

 and lawns in company with sparrows. The food consists mainly of 

 insects, but in winter the seeds of many noxious weeds are eaten, thus 

 doing a good service to the agriculturist. The nest, constructed of 

 dry grass and moss, lined with hair and finer material, is usually placed 

 on or near the ground under taneled herbage, or in a low bush. The 

 four or five eggs are of a purplish-white, streaked and spotted over 

 with hair-like markings of a purplish-black (see British Bird Egg 

 Cabinet, drawer 5). Two broods are produced in the year, the first 

 set of eggs being laid in the middle of April. 



Case 127. 



(1) SNOW BUNTING {Plectrofhenax nivalis). 

 Local names : Shore Lark, Mountain Bunting. 



An annual winter visitant to our shores in considerable numbers. 

 (See British Bird Egg Cabinet, drawer 5). 



(2) CIRL BUNTING {Emberiza cirlus). 



A very rare visitor locally. It is recorded to have bred at Formby. 

 (Mitchell, " Birds of Lancashire," Ed. 2, p. 79). (See British Bird Egg 

 Cabinet, drawer 5). 



(3) ORTOLAN BUNTING {Emberiza Jiortulana). 



A male of this species was killed near Manchester in November. 1827, 

 and was figured by Selby (Mitchell, " Birds of Lancashire," Ed. 2, 

 p. 79). (See British Bird Egg Cabinet, drawer 28). 



(4) LAPLAND BUNTING {Calcarius lapponlcus). 



A very rare winter visitant, and only four times observed in 

 Lancashire between 1834 and 1892. (Mitchell, " Birds of Lancashire, 

 p. 73). (See British Bird Egg Cabinet, drawer 28). 



Case 128. 



SKYLARK {Alauda arvensis). 



This well-known songster is widely distributed throughout the 

 British Isles, and frequents the vicinity of cultivated fields and grass 

 lands. Its food consists of seeds, insects, and worms. The nest of 

 dry grass is placed on the ground under tufts of grass, or in growing 

 corn. The eggs are three to five in number, of a dull grey ground 

 colour, thickly spotted with brown. (See British Bird Egg Cabinet, 

 drawer 6). Two broods are usually produced in a season. 



