312 ORTOLAN BUNTING. 



in Britain ; and although not easily distinguished, 

 so as to be sought out from any parties of its con- 

 geners, there can be no doubt of its being very 

 far from common. In Scotland, or Ireland, it has 

 not been recorded. The Ortolan ranges over the 

 European continent, but not abundantly ; among 

 the dealers in France, we did not find it a species 

 at all times to be obtained. It extends out of 

 Europe to Northern Africa, and to the Dukhun 

 in India. 



A specimen from the Continent, before us, has 

 the following distribution of colours : The head 

 and nape are grayish green ; the shafts of the 

 feathers dark ; the back is of a dull chestnut 

 brown, having the centre of each feather streaked 

 with dark blackish brown ; the wings are umber 

 brown, the secondaries and coverts edged with 

 reddish brown ; the quills margined with yellow- 

 ish white ; tail of the same shade with the wings, 

 the centre feathers tinted with reddish and with 

 pale margins, and the two outer feathers with 

 the usual white patch on the inner webs ; the 

 chin and throat are pale lemon yellow, with an 

 indication of a dark stripe from the base of each 

 maxilla ; the remaining under parts are very pale 

 reddish brown, on the breast marked with an 

 indistinct dark streak in the centre of each fea- 

 ther. 



REED BUNTING, EMBERIZA SCHJENICULUS. 

 Emberiza schceniculus, Linn. fyc. Reed, or Black- 



