103 



Average of 22 eggs (2 by Rev and 18 by the writer) 20.04X15.38 mm., Measure- 

 Max. 22X16 and 21.2X16.5 mm., Min. 19X15.6 and 20.2X14.5 mm. Two ments. 

 eggs weigh 138 and 150 mg. (Rey).] 



48. Yellow l)reaste(l Bunting, Emberiza aureola Pall. 



Plate 14, fig. 8, 9 (Siberia). 



Eggs: Baedeker, Tab. 12, fig. 11. Journ. f. Ornith. 1856, Tab. II, 

 fig. 15. 



Foreign Names: Bohemia: Strnad rusky. Finland: Kiilta sirJcku. 

 Germany: Wddenammer. Russia: Strenatka tscliernolitsaya. Sweden: Rysk 

 Videsjparf. 



Eynheriza aureola Pall. Dresser, Birds of Europe, IV, p. 223; id. 

 Man. Pal. Birds, p. 349; Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 173. 



Breeding Range: Russia, east of Lake Onega and north of lat. 

 50° N. [Also Siberia to Kamtschatka, etc.] Has occurred once in Eng- 

 land (Cley, Norfolk, 21. IX. 05), and also on Helgoland, as well as in 

 Austro -Hungary, Italy, Holland and S. France. 



Near Archangel this species is exceedingly common, but in the country con- 

 between the Dwina valley and the great Lakes is only thinly distributed, ^y^"*^ 

 It is said also to be common in the governments of Moscow, Tula, and 

 Kazan, although unknown near Moscow till 40 or 50 years ago. In the 

 valleys on the western slopes of the Urals it is scarce. Its usual haunts 

 are the low meadows interspersed with small alder and birch bushes, and 

 overgrown with patches of Veratrum album; but in S. E. Siberia Radde 

 met with it among the brush covered river banks up to 6000 ft. 



Usually built either on the ground or close to it, sometimes in low Nest. 

 bushes or on stumps, and often under the shelter of a plant of Ve^'atrum 

 album. Many of the nests found by Dybowski in E. Siberia were however 

 3 ft. from the ground. The nests are not easy to find, as the sitting birds 

 frequently run some distance before taking wing. They are composed of 

 dry grasses, with a lining of a few horsehairs. Both sexes incubate. 



Usually 4 or 5 in number, rarely 6. Some eggs bear a considerable Eggs. 

 resemblance to those of the Reed Bunting, but as a rule the ground colour 

 is distinctly greenish, sometimes decidedly so, and at other times varying 

 to stone colour, pale bluish or olive. The markings consist of spots and 

 streaks, occasionally also hair lines, of dark brown, with underlying 

 cloudings of purplish grey or brown, which sometimes almost obscure the 

 ground colour. 



In Russia fresh eggs may be found from June 9 to early in July, while on Breeding 

 tlie Upper Lena, Hall took nests between June 18 and 25. Near Archangel 

 most nests contained newly hatched young on July 13 — 14 (Harvie-Brown). 



