114 Proceedings of the lloyal Physical Society. 



Corn Bunting (Fmberiza miliaria). 

 Frequents a marshy strip of ground running parallel to the 

 main road from Templehouse to Kerrowdown farm, and in 

 spring may be seen sitting on the top of a few small trees 

 planted along the roadside, busily engaged in uttering what 

 passes muster with it for a love song. At no time very 

 numerous, a few are always resident, but from the gradual 

 disappearance of the old ditches and moist places, owing to 

 the superior drainage system, the bird is gradually disappear- 

 ing, the marshy ground already mentioned being, to the best 

 of my knowledge, the only place where it now breeds. 



Eeed Bunting {Emheriza schoeniclus). 



Very common in spring and summer about the same place, 

 and frequently to be seen sitting on the trees with chaffinches, 

 greenfinches, and yellowhammers ; never, however, very far 

 from the marsh. 



Yellow Bunting {Emheriza citrinella). 



One would hardly suppose that this most beautiful and 

 interesting bird was an object of detestation, but so it is. 

 The superstitious natives believe that it is the handiwork of 

 the arch enemy himself, and also that it is the duty of every 

 professing Christian to hate it in consequence. It is right to 

 state, however, that the feeling against it is dying out, 

 although in some quarters the animosity is still very strong. 



Snow Bunting {Plectrophanes nivalis). 



Coming at a season of year when bird life is scarce, and 

 giving some animation to the usual dead and dreary winter 

 scene, the snow bunting is on that account doubly welcome. 

 After a severe snowstorm the birds apparently flock together, 

 and are driven by hunger off the moors down to the lower 

 grounds ; but unless, as was the case last winter (1880-81), 

 the storm is prolonged for many days, they seldom venture 

 lower than the most upland farms. These buntings seem to 

 be in their element during a storm, if we can judge from the 

 fact of their circling round and round at no great height 



