TEE COMMON BUNTING. 119 



The flight of the Bunting is strong, but is somewhat 

 laboured, and not particularly rapid ; it consists of a series 

 of undulating movements, and is accompanied with a 

 whirring sound. When on the ground, it moves quickly by 

 hopping ; at night it roosts either on the ground in stubble, 

 or on low hedgerows or bushes. Its note is uttered both 

 when the bird is flying and when it is perched, and 

 resembles the word " chuck " or " chit." This is repeated 

 several times in a harsh, unmelodious key, and can be 

 heard for some considerable distance. The bird is of an 

 extremely quarrelsome disposition. 



The Bunting generally commences its nest about the 

 end of April; it is built either on the ground, in the middle 

 of a field, or on a bank, or in coarse herbage close to the 

 bottom of a hedge, and occasionally in a bush. The nest is 

 composed of small fibrous roots, dried grass, or hay, and 

 neatly lined with fine moss, wool, and hair. About four 

 eggs is the usual number laid, and these are of a blunt 

 oval shape, and of a whitish colour, tinged with greyish- 

 red, sometimes pale purple, and irregularly spotted and 

 blotched with marks of dark purplish-brown. In some 

 instances the ground of the egg is almost white, but they 

 vary considerably in colour, shape, and size. • 



In the spring and summer these birds are seen usually 

 singly or in pairs, but in the cold weather they congre- 

 gate not only with numbers of their own species, but also 

 with various birds whose size, habits, and food correspond 

 generally with their own. 



The food of the Bunting consists of corn and other 

 grain, seeds, insects, and grubs. It is generally in excel- 

 lent condition, and is considered very good eating. Fields, 

 particularly stubble, the enclosures of farms, where ricks 



