186 FRINGILLIDJ3 EMBEEIZA 



wooded localities, and if disturbed only fly for a few yards before 

 settling again on the ground. Only occasionally do they perch on 

 low bushes or trees, much oftener on stones or rocks. They feed 

 largely upon insects, especially upon small beetles, less frequently 

 upon seeds. In spring the brilliant cocks sing their simple Bunting- 

 like notes from the summit of low bushes or stones, a monotonous 

 and oft-repeated " zizi-zizi-zee," with the stress on the last syllable. 

 About the middle of October the female proceeds to build her nest 

 of dry grass-stalks, lined with finer grass and hair, in a low bush at 

 the foot of a rock, or among the roots of herbage on a ledge, and 

 towards the beginning of November lays four or five eggs. 



These are smaller than those of the Cape Bunting (Fnngillaria 

 capensis), and differ completely in colour. They are white, thickly 

 marked all over with scrawls and hair - like zig-zag lines of very 

 dark purplish-brown or black. They measure O75 x 0'58. 



6/ 102. Emberiza major orientalis. Shelley's Buntimj. 



Fringillaria orientalis, Shelley, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 308. 

 Einberiza orientalis, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xii, p. 502 (1888) ; Shelley, B. 

 Afr. i, p. 18 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Above, the feathers rufous-brown 

 centred with black ; the feathers of the back margined with pale 

 brown; rump and upper tail-coverts dark grey ; lesser wing-coverts 

 black with grey margins ; middle coverts white ; greater coverts 

 black tipped with white and edged with brown ; quills dusky edged 

 with whitish ; tail-feathers brown, the outer three with a white 

 patch on the inner web increasing in size towards the outermost ; 

 crown rufous-brown streaked with black, a white streak down the 

 centre ; eyebrow, hind ear- coverts, and streak behind them white ; 

 lores, feathers about eye, anterior ear-coverts, and cheeks black ; 

 chin and line below cheeks white ; sides of neck and breast, also the 

 flanks, grey ; throat and centre of body yellow ; thighs, vent and 

 under tail and wing- coverts white. 



Iris brown ; upper mandible dusky ; the lower reddish ; legs 

 and feet dusky flesh-colour. 



Length 5-80 ; wing 3-20 ; tail 3-00 ; tarsus 0-80 ; culmen 0'55. 



Distribution. Momboio in East Africa. Nyasaland, the Upper 

 Congo districts and Mashonaland. 



Habits. This race only differs from Emberiza major (Cabanis), 

 of Angola, in being smaller and in having the eyebrow and central 

 crown-streak broader and more distinct. The bill and tarsus are 

 a trifle longer also. 



