130 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd and 4th equal and 

 longest, 2nd and 5th usually 1-3 mm. shorter but occasionally equal, 

 6th 5-7 shorter ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. Other 

 structure as E. citrinella, but palatal knob scarcely observable. 



Sojt 'parts. — Bill brown and base of lower mandible flesh ; 

 legs and feet reddish-flesh ; iris dark brown. 



Characters and allied species. — No subspecies recognized. 

 Distinguished from E. cia and E. cioides by white abdomen, from 

 E. leucocephala by chestnut lesser wing-coverts and smaller size, 

 and adults from all other British Buntmgs by combination of 

 chestnut rump, breast-band, and streaks on flanks. For differences 

 of E. pusilla see under that species. 



Field-characters. — Bright rusty breast-band of large spots as 

 A^ell as similar spots on flanks show up distinctly on silky white 

 under-parts and make it readily distinguishable from other Buntings 

 (H. Lynes). 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on or near ground in bushes or rank 

 grass m swampy forest. Nest. — Built of grasses and bents. 

 Eggs. — 4-5, occasionally 6, ground-colour greenish-grey to bluish- 

 green, spotted and blotched thickly with greyish-olive and violet 

 shell-marks, but no streaks. Average of 43 eggs, 20.36 X 15.12 mm. 

 Breeding-season. — ^From end May to July. Incubation. — Period 

 and share of sexes unknown. One brood. 



Food. — Seeds ; young said to eat oats and other grain. 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — ^Six England, seven Scotland. 

 England. — One near Brighton (Sussex) Oct. 23, 1867. One Holder- 

 ness (Yorks.) Sept. 17, 1881. One Elstree (Herts.) Nov. 19, 

 1882 (Saunders, p. 217). One Westfield (Sussex) Sept. 22, 1902. 

 One near Seaton Sluice (Northumberland) some time previous to 

 Dec, 1904. One seen Lines, {of. Brit. B., i, pp. 248-9) One 

 Westfield (Sussex) Dec. 4, 1914 {op. c. ix, p. 92). Scotland. — Pair 

 Torphins (Aberdeen) end March, 1905. Male Cape Wrath (Suther- 

 land) May 11, 1906 {cf. op. c, i, p. 249). Female adult June 18, 

 young Sept. 22, 1908, male adult Sept. 29, 1909, Fair Isle {Studies 

 Bird Migration, n, p. 114). Male adult May 30, 1913, Fair Isle 

 {Scot. Nat., 1914, p. 54). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — From east Finland throughout Siberia 

 to Kamtschatka. On migration through Manchuria and Mongolia 

 to Japan, China, Turkestan, casual in Europe (Sweden, Austria, 

 Germany, Hehgoland, south France, Italy, Holland), and Alaska. 



EMBERIZA PUSILLA 



52. Emberiza pusilla PaU.— THE LITTLE BUNTING. 



Embertza pusilla Pallas, Reise d. versch. Prov. d. E-uss. Reichs, lu, 



p. 697 (1776 — Transbaikalian Alps). 



Emberiza pusilla Pallas, Yarrell, 11, p. 34 ; Saunders, p. 219. 



