OSCINES 659 
hortulana of Linnzus, a bird so celebrated for the delicate flavour of 
its flesh as to have become proverbial, and to have given its name 
to others, not all of them nearly related, which are supposed to be 
as well-tasted. A native of most European countries—the British 
Islands (in which it occurs but rarely) excepted—as well as of 
western Asia, it emigrates in autumn presumably to the southward 
of the Mediterranean, though its winter-quarters cannot be said to 
be accurately known, and returns about the end of April or 
beginning of May. Its distribution throughout its breeding-range 
seems to be very local, and for this no reason can be assigned. It 
was long ago said in France, and apparently with truth, to prefer 
wine-growing districts ; but it certainly does not feed upon grapes, 
and is found equally in countries where vineyards are unknown— 
reaching in Scandinavia even beyond the arctic circle—and there it 
generally frequents corn-fields and their neighbourhood. In appear- 
ance and habits it much resembles its congener the YELLOW- 
HAMMER, but wants the bright colouring of that species, its head 
for instance being of a greenish-grey instead of a lively yellow. 
The somewhat monotonous song of the cock is also much of the 
same kind ; and, where the bird is a familiar object to the country 
people, who usually associate its arrival with the return of fair 
weather, they commonly apply various syllabic interpretations to 
its notes, just as our boys do to those of the Yellow-hammer. The 
nest is placed on or near the ground, but the eggs seldom shew the 
hair-like markings so characteristic of those of most Hmberindx 
(BUNTING). Ortolans are netted alive in great numbers, kept from 
the light of day, and fed with millet, oats and other seeds. In a 
short time they become enormously fat, and are then killed for the 
table. If, as is supposed, the Ortolan be the Miliaria of Varro, the 
practice of artificially fattening birds of this species is very ancient.' 
In Europe the “ Beccafico” (FIG-EATER), whatever that may be, 
shares with the Ortolan the highest honours of the dish, but the 
former is not artificially fattened, and on this account is preferred 
by some sensitive tastes to the latter. 
OSCINES, the third Order of Birds according to the arrange- 
ment in 1840 of Keyserling and Blasius (Wirbelth. Europ. 
pp. xxxvi. and 80), consisting of forms which, among other less 
important characters, are distinguished by the possession of true 
song-muscles (of. SYRINX and INTRODUCTION). 
1 In France the word is used so as to be almost synonymous with our ‘‘ Bunt- 
ing” ; but in some of the Antilles, where French is spoken, the Ortodan is a little 
Ground-Dove of the genus Chamezpelia. In North America the name is one of 
the many applied to the Bogouink, so justly celebrated for its excellent flavour, 
as well as to the Sora or Carolina Ratt; while by Anglo-Indians two species of 
Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla and Pyrrhulauda grisea) are commonly called 
Ortolans (Jerdon, B. Ind. ii. p. 373). 
