THE YELLOW BUNTING. 107 



distributed throughout the greater part of Europe, breeding in Scandinavia as far 

 north as lat. 70, and in the valley of the Ob, in Siberia, up to lat. 64. To 

 the more northern portions of its range it is only a summer visitor, and it only 

 visits the more southern portions in the winter, but in the temperate regions it 

 is resident ; in winter it occurs southwards through Turkey into N.W. Persia 

 and Turkestan. Although almost unknown in S.W. Spain, it is said to be resident 

 in Teneriffe. 



Throughout Great Britain this species is abundant and generally distributed, 

 breeding everywhere excepting, perhaps, in the Shetlands. 



The male Yellow Bunting in breeding plumage appears to vary considerably 

 in beauty of plumage, the birds of Mid-Kent appearing almost like a distinct 

 species from those of North-west Kent, owing to the much greater development 

 of yellow on the head. The crown and nape bright Canary-yellow, with an olive- 

 brown streak across the forehead and bounding the sides of the crown ; * or lemon 

 yellow much more streaked with olive-brown ; remainder of upper parts chestnut, 

 the feathers of the mantle and back with strongly marked black longitudinal 

 streaks ; wing- coverts and inner secondaries dark smoky brown, bordered with 

 chestnut ; remaining secondaries and primaries sooty blackish, with more or less 

 yellow margins to the outer webs and slightly ashy tips ; two central tail feathers 

 dark smoky brown, with pale cinnamon brownish borders ; remaining feathers 

 sooty blackish, with very narrow yellowish edging to the outer web ; the two outer 

 feathers with large snow white wedge-shaped patches on the inner web ; under 

 parts lemon yellow, an olive-brown streak partly bounding the ear-coverts ; breast 

 and flanks slightly washed with olive and streaked with olive-brown ; beak dark 

 horn-brown on the culmen, becoming more leaden at the sides, lower mandible 

 much paler, especially along the edge and just in front of the chin; feet pale 

 flesh-brown ; iris hazel. The female is much less yellow than the male (excepting 

 in pairs netted in West Kent which, even in breeding plumage, differ compara- 

 tively little) the yellow on the crown represented by irregular mottling ; the 

 chestnut of the upper parts much less pronounced, excepting on the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts; whilst the olive-brown streaking of the under parts is more 

 defined. After the autumn moult the feathers of the head have dark tips and the 

 other feathers of the upper parts somewhat ashy margins; all of which are said 

 to be shed in the spring. The young nearly resemble females in winter plumage. 



I have repeatedly tried to get hold of Yellow Hammers in brilliant plumage ; 

 but, living on the borders of North-west Kent, I find that the catchers invariably 



Mr. Frohawk has shown me a wonderful specimen in which there are no streaks on head or neck, and 

 the wings are varied with white. A.G.B. 



