ORTOLAN BUNTING. 531 



verts dusky black with broad rufous brown margins ; upper 

 tail-coverts reddish brown ; tail-feathers dusky black, two 

 and sometimes three outer feathers on each side with a 

 patch of white on the broad inner web ; the chin, throat, 

 and upper part of the breast, yellowish green ; the other 

 under parts of the body reddish buff, palest in colour on 

 the belly and under tail-coverts ; legs, toes, and claws, 

 pale brown, tinged with red. 



The back of this bird being very similar in appearance 

 to that of the Girl Bunting, a front view of this species 

 was given to avoid repetition. 



The whole length of the bird is six inches and one quarter. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, three inches 

 and a half : the three first feathers of the wing equal in 

 length, and the longest in the wing ; the fourth nearly one 

 quarter of an inch shorter than the third. 



The female has the colour of the head more mixed with 

 grey, and streaked with dark brown ; the upper part of the 

 breast spotted with dark brown and the buff colour below, 

 as well as the other colours, generally less vivid. 



Young birds of the year resemble the female. 



M. Temminck, M. Vieillot, and others, well acquainted 

 with this species, refer particularly to the variations that 

 are occasionally found in the colours of its plumage. M. 

 Vieillot enumerates six varieties that have occurred, the 

 third of which, his variety C, is described as having the 

 head and neck green. 



M M 2 



