118 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



brown ; in front the feathers are tipped with a triangular 

 spot of brownish-black, the spots being- larger and darker 

 on each side, where they form a line. The chin, throat 

 and breast are dull white in summer, and in winter a 

 yellowish-brown, marked with streaks or elongated spots of 

 dark brown, which are much lengthened farther down the 

 body. Close to the throat the spots of dark brown 

 are much smaller and closer together than on the 

 breast. The back is a pale yellowish-brown, with 

 streaks of darker brown, and in the autumn it becomes 

 more olive in colour. The wing-coverts are dark brown, 

 broadly edged with a lighter brown. The tail is slightly 

 forked, rather long, and dark brown, the edges of the 

 feathers being lighter; the under tail-coverts are pale 

 yellowish-brown ; legs are pale yellowish or reddish-brown ; 

 toes dull yellow ; claws deep brown. The female closely 

 resembles the male, but the young birds are lighter than 

 their parents, and the dark markings on the breast and 

 throat are more lengthened. 



This bird is tolerably common in most parts o£ Great 

 Britain, but is found in certain localities in much greater 

 numbers than in others. It is also known as the Bunting 

 Lark, Clodbird, and Corn Bunting, the latter name being 

 given to it from the strong partiality it evinces for this 

 particular sort of food. As may be easily imagined, the 

 Bunting is not a favourite bird with English farmers, who 

 attribute to it — letushope unjustly — an amountof dishonesty 

 and mischief in the matter of corn-ricks that is certainly 

 very derogatory to its character ; and it is commonly said 

 of the bird that it seems to consider that, all collections of 

 grain have been expressl}' stored for its own especial 

 comfort and private recpiirements. 



