130 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



CORN BUNTING. 

 Emberiza miliaria ; Bruant proyer ; Grau aminer. 



Common Bunting ; Briar Bunting ; Lark Bunting ; 

 Corn Bunting ; Bush Lark. 



Bill, legs, and claws, brown ; head, neck, back, and 

 tail, light brown, with dark strokes ; chin, throat, and 

 breast whitish-brown, with dusky spots ; tail, dark 

 brown, slightly forked. Length, seven inches and 

 a half. 



It is only by a stretch of charity that the Common 

 Bunting, or rather the Corn Bunting for it is by no 

 means so plentiful as the Yellow Bunting can be 

 included among our Song Birds. Still it certainly does 

 possess what is evidently intended for a song, which, 

 as is usually the case, it reserves for the breeding 

 season. 



It is easy to observe a large brown, heavy-looking 

 bird, something like a Lark, but much stouter, sitting 

 sometimes for hours on a twig, and uttering from time 

 to time a harsh, guttural song; this is our friend the 

 Corn Bunting. Scare him away, and he will fly off 

 heavily and yet strongly, with his legs dangling down 

 in a curious fashion, somewhat reminding us of the 

 heron when on the wing. To me the song sounds 

 something like the syllables, " Tic, tic, wissa, wissa, 

 wissee," different birds laying the accent in different 

 places. The call-note sounds like " tzit" or " tsips." 



Rev. Warde Fowler says of the song : " His voice is 

 half-hearted, and reminds me often of an old man in 



