THE GIRL BUNTING. 201 



disagreeable in that way, or so destructive of small seeds in gardens, 

 as the House Sparrow; but still it is a marked bird, and the very 

 beauty of its eggs are, in some places, made a ground for their 

 wanton destruction. According to the absurd superstition, the 

 parent birds are fed each with ' a drop of the devil's blood ' on the 

 morning of May-day; and that infernal draught taints the eggs 

 with those streaks and 'gouts' which, in truth, make them so 

 beauriful. What first gave rise to superstitions so absurd, and so 

 contrary to all that we are taught to know of the nature of spiritual 

 beings, it is not easy to say : but to the credit of the times, they are 

 fast wearing out. 



THE GIRL BUNTING (Emleriza Cirlus). This species is 

 somewhat smaller than the last, which it closely resembles 

 in form, and the general colours of the plumage; it has 

 however distinguishing marks on the back, head, and 

 throat, and the crescent- shaped patch of yellow on the fore 

 neck, the lower part of which is dull green. Col. Montagu 

 was the first to describe this bird as a British visitant ; this 

 was in the winter of 1800, when he procured several speci- 

 mens in the neighbourhood of Kingsbridge. He subse- 

 quently observed it between Glastonbury and Bridgewater, 

 and states that it had been traced westward to Falmouth in 

 Cornwall. Individuals have since been met with in various 

 parts of England ; but Devonshire and the neighbouring 

 counties appear to be its more peculiar residence, and there 

 it is said to breed and remain throughout the year. The 

 above-named naturalist states that it generally builds in 

 furze or some low bush ; the nest being composed of dry 

 stalks, roots, and a little moss, and lined with long hair and 

 fibrous roots. The eggs are four or five in number, cinere- 

 ous white, with irregular long and short curved dusky 

 lines, terminating frequently with a spot at one end. These 

 birds pair in April, and begin laying early in May. Having 

 taken the young, it was found that insects were the most 

 partial food, especially the common grasshopper. When 

 they could peck, the smallest seeds were acceptable, and 

 canary the favourite ; of grain, wheat and barley were 

 rejected ; but oats were greedily devoured after they had 

 dexterously and quickly deprived them of the outer coat. 

 The monotonous song of the male was incessant, and so 



