105 



in the Crimea, but is scarce in the Caucasus; while it is common on the 

 hills of Asia Minor and Crete, and is abundant in the mountain ranges of 

 N. W. Africa. 



In the British Isles the nest is usually found in gorse, often some xest. 

 little distance above the ground, less frequently in hedge bottoms or 

 bramble thickets, and occasionally on the ground on a bankside. In the 

 south of Europe and N. Africa it haunts the brush grown hill sides, and 

 is also found in open glades of cork forest near Gibraltar. The nest is 

 built chiefly of bents and roots, with occasionally moss, leaves, etc., lined 

 with finer grasses and usually, but not always, with horsehair. External 

 diameter about 4 in., diameter of cup 2?, — 3 in.; depth of cup li in. The 

 cock is not at all shy, but pours forth his vigorous, but monotonous song 

 with head thrown back and widely opened bill from some bush or tree 

 in the vicinity of the nest. 



4 — 5 (rarely 6 in number in southern Europe), while late broods often E?g3. 

 consist of only 3. As a rule the eggs are characterized by their pale 

 bluish or greenish white ground and bold, almost black streaks. Occasionally 

 however a nest is found in which the ground colour of the eggs has a 

 pinkish tinge, and such exceptional clutches are not to be distinguished 

 from eggs of the Yellow Bunting. I have seen eggs of this kind from 

 the Parnassus, where E. citriyiella does not occur, as well as from the 

 south of England. In a clutch from Asia Minor the markings are of 

 a distinctly reddish brown, instead of the usual very dark sepia. 



In England the usual time for first clutches is from about May 10 Breeding 

 to the end of the month, while second broods may be looked for from 

 mid-July to August. In warm, sheltered spots, eggs may occasionally be 

 found at the beginning of May. In southern Spain the eggs are laid early 

 in April, and in Greece from the middle to the end of the month, second 

 broods being found up to the middle of July. 



Average size of 100 eggs (53 by Rey and 47 by the writer) Measure- 

 21.18X16.11 mm., Max. 23x17 and 21X18 mm., ]\Iin. 19.2x15 mm. 

 An abnormally large egg from Greece measures 26.4X22.4 mm. (Reiser). 

 Average weight of 53 eggs, 166 mg. (Rey); of 22 eggs, 171 mg. (Bau). It 

 will be noticed that as a rule the eggs are broader than those of E. citrinella, 

 and are occasionally very rounded in shape. 



[Strickland's Bunting, Emberiza cinerea Strickl. 



Egg: Ibis 1904, PI. Ill, fig. 11. 



Emberiza cinerea Strickl. Dresser, Birds of Europe, IV, p. 159; id. Man. 

 Pal. Birds, p. 352; Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 178. 



This species, which is supposed to have been seen once on Helgoland, is 

 not uncommon in Asia Minor, but the nesting habits and eggs are almost 

 unknown. Two eggs from a nest taken on May 10, 1889 by one of Kriipers 



mentfr. 



