8 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



Eggs. Four to five. Dull bluish or cinerous 

 white, spotted, blotched, streaked, and veined 

 irregularly with very dark brown, and underlying 

 markings of grey. Size about '86 by '65 in. 



Time. May, June, and July. 



Remarks. Kesident. Notes: call, zi-zi-za-zirr ; 

 song, zis-zis-zis-gor-gor-gor, according to Bechstein, 

 whilst another authority describes it as tuft, ttitt, 

 tittf, tiitt, tuft, UHt. Local and other names : Black- 

 throated Yellow-hammer, French Yellow-hammer. 

 Sits close. 



BUNTING, COMMON. See BUNTING, COKN. 



BUNTING, CORN. Also COMMON BUNTING. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length a little 

 over seven inches. Bill short, conical, strong, and 

 pale yellow-brown, with a stripe of dark brown on 

 the top of the upper mandible. Irides dark hazel. 

 Head, neck, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts 

 light brown, inclining to olive, each feather being 

 streaked in the centre with dark brown. Wings 

 dark brown, the feathers being edged with, a lighter 

 tinge of the same colour. Tail slightly forked and 

 dark brown with light edges. Chin, throat, breast, 

 belly, vent, and under tail-coverts dull whitish- 

 brown ; the sides of the neck and the breast are 

 marked with triangular spots of dark brown ; sides 

 streaked with the same colour. Legs, toes, and 

 claws pale brown. The bird is thick and bulky 

 in appearance and of sluggish habits. 



Female similar to male. 



Situation and Locality. On or near the ground, 

 amongst coarse grass, on a bank, among the grass, 



