THE BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. >i 



France, eastwards to North-western and Central India." Howard Sauuders says : 

 " In Greece, Turkey, the Danubiau Provinces, Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Pales- 

 tine, and Northern Persia, it is common from the end of April to autumn, after 

 which it leaves for its winter quarters in North-western and Central India." 



Gatke, speaking of it in Heligoland, observes : " I obtained the first example 

 of this large and handsome Bunting on the 4th of June, 1845 ; it is an old male 

 in which, singularly, the normal black markings of the head not only extend 

 downwards along the sides of the neck, but the fore-neck also has a long black 

 longitudinal patch. Since that time the species has occurred here about fifteen 

 times, and has been killed in most of these cases." 



When Seebohm published his History of British Birds, Vol. II, in 1884, only 

 one example of this species had been obtained, it was shot by Mr. Robert Brazener, 

 on Brighton racecourse, on the 3rd November, 1868. In 1888, Howard Saunders 

 was able to add two occurrences of the Black-headed Bunting (Manual British 

 Birds, p. 197) one recorded by the Rev. J. R. Ashworth (in the "Zoologist" for 

 1886, p. 73) as having been shot in Nottinghamshire; and the other as having 

 been captured about November 5th, 1886, near Dunfermline, and exhibited at the 

 Crystal Palace Show, February i2th to i7th, 1887, where it was recognised by the 

 Rev. H. A. Macphersou. It was then purchased by Mr. J. C. Steele, of Beckenham, 

 who exhibited it at the Palace every year up to 1891, taking a first prize up to 

 1890. In 1891 it was recognised and labelled as "Black-headed Bunting" by the 

 late Mr. Jenner Weir at the West Kent Ornithological Show; but, knowing that 

 the carelessness of some popular writers had prejudiced the public mind by con- 

 founding this species with the Reed Bunting, Mr. Steele probably wished to avoid 

 discussion, and therefore again entered it for the Palace Show of that year (February 

 I4th to iQth) as " Bunting-Cock." The bird was then growing old, and was in 

 poor plumage ; therefore the judge passed it over : soon afterwards it died, was 

 stuffed, and is still in Mr. Steele's possession.* 



The adult male in the breeding season has the crown, lores, sides of face and 

 ear-coverts black ; the back and rump cinnamon-brown ; wings and tail brown, the 

 former with whity-brown margins to the coverts, and broad pale borders to the 

 innermost secondaries ; the outer pair of tail-feathers with a narrow white edge to 

 the inner web ; a collar at sides of neck and entire under surface bright golden 

 yellow ; beak greyish leaden ; feet pale brown ; iris hazel. The female is altogether 

 duller above sandy brown, with darker streaks ; the rump slightly yellower, the 

 wing-coverts and quills margined with buffish white ; under surface sordid white, 



A bird said to be this species was exhibited in 1896: unless my memory deceives me, it was a Reed- 

 Bunting. 



VOL. ii. 



