384 THE REED BUNTING. 



f by f inches — less than those of the yellow hammer. The 

 nest also of dry grass and roots, lined with finer grass and hair. 

 The one before me, which I got at the side of a whin on the 

 links, June 5th, 1855, with three fresh eggs, is composed of dry 

 grass, profusely lined with hair, some horse hairs fourteen 

 inches long, cow's hair, and a lot of fine white hair. 

 Macgillivray says : — " Although stationary in England, it is 

 migratory in most parts of Scotland, departing in October and 

 reappearing in April." But I have found them here in winter 

 as well as summer, which one of my notes when forming my 

 collection shows : — 



"January 26th. 1856. — I got a fine male snowflake lying dead at the side 

 of a dyke near the links. Walked to Seggie Hill farm — about five miles, 

 had my gun, .shot a male stonechat feeding on a heap of manure near the 

 Guardbridge, and, on a hedge near Seggie farm house, i" shot a fine male 

 reed bunting (which I stuffed and still have), i" saio another near the 

 Moutrie burn, but did not shoot it." 



It is well named the black-headed bunting, for the male in 

 summer has the head and throat black as ink, with a white 

 collar round the neck, which shows the black still more ; sides 

 of the breast, belly, and under tail coverts also white. The 

 general colour of the back and wings, bright chestnut ; each 

 feather black in the centre ; the rump, bluish grey ; two 

 middle tail feathers like the back, the rest fringed with red ; 

 the two outer marked with white. In winter the feathers of the 

 head and throat are margined with yellowish-brown ; legs, flesh 

 coloured ; toes and iris, brown. The female has the upper part 

 of the head pale red, the band round the neck, yellowish-grey ; 

 under parts, brownish-white ; breast and sides, streaked with 

 brown; back, wings, and tail like the male but paler. The 

 young resemble the female. Length of male, 6J inches, and 9| 

 in extent of wings ; female f of an inch less. There are other 

 two — the cirl bunting (Emberiza Cirlus), and the ortolan 

 bunting (Emberiza Hortulana). The first is like the yellow 

 bunting, but the male is distinguished by its black throat and 

 the bright yellow crescent on the fore neck. Although I have 

 not identified it here, that is no reason why it may not be found 

 in Fife as well as in Devonshire and Cornwall. It generally 

 makes its nest in furze or a low bush near the sea coast ; nest 

 and eggs like the yellow bunting's. The other is rarer, and, as 

 far as I know, does not breed in Britain. It resembles the last : 

 might be mistaken for the female yellow bunting ; plentiful on 

 the Continent ; generally has its nest in a hollow scraped out 



