THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
time in tall trees may easily escape notice. ‘The song of 
this Bunting commences in March, and continues well 
into the autumn. It closely resembles that of the 
Yellow Bunting in its opening stage, but ends even more 
abruptly, the final long-drawn note being omitted. One 
may aptly compare it to that of a Yellow Bunting suddenly 
interrupted. Apart from its habit of frequenting trees, 
the Cirl Bunting very closely resembles the commoner 
species in its economy. It feeds on similar objects, is 
more or less gregarious in winter, consorts with Sparrows 
and other Finches, has the same dipping flight, similar 
call-notes, and nests in much the same situations. Pre- 
parations for the first brood commence in late April, and 
the breeding season continues until July. ‘The nest is 
perhaps more frequently placed in a low bush—a gorse 
for preference—than upon the ground amongst herbage. 
It is made externally of dry grass, roots, dead leaves, 
moss, and twitch, and lined with finer roots and horse- 
hair. ‘The four or five eggs are bluish white in ground 
colour, blotched and streaked, and pencilled in the true 
Bunting style with intensely dark brown, paler brown, and 
rey. 
; Tn the colour of the upper parts the Cirl Bunting very 
closely resembles the Yellow Bunting, but the yellow 
crown is wanting, the head, rump, and upper tail-coverts 
being olive-green, streaked with black on the former and 
dusky brown on the two latter. A yellow streak reaches 
over the eye; another similar in colour extends below it. 
The wings and tail resemble those of the preceding species, 
but the smaller wing-coverts are olive instead of rich brown. 
The throat is black, followed by a broad patch of yellow ; 
across the breast is an olive-green band, merging into 
chestnut ; the remainder of the under surface is yellow, 
witha darker shade on the flanks, which are streaked with 
brown. Bill brown, paler below; tarsi and toes pale 
brown ; irides brown. Length about 7inches. The female 
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