OF HARTING. 28 1 



met with many of its nests, which are generally built 

 in low bushes, while that of the yellow bunting is more 

 frequently on the ground, or under a bush. We have 

 no doubt that the eggs of the two species are often 

 confounded, there is so great a resemblance between 

 them. The Black-headed Bunting, or Reed Bunting 

 (Emberiza Schcmiclus\ during the breeding season, is 

 met with commonly among the bushes, reeds, flags, and 

 rushes growing near water ; but in the winter it visits 

 the farmyards in company with the other buntings, 

 greenfinches, chaffinches, and sparrows. 



The Chaffinch (Fringilla ccelebs) is a very common 

 bird, and almost as familiar as the house sparrow. 

 Like many other small birds, it is seen in large flocks 

 in the autumn and, during the winter months in long- 

 continued severe weather, sometimes, indeed, before 

 hard weather has set in, it is often accompanied in 

 great numbers by another member of the same family, 

 the Brambling (Fringilla Montifringilla), a beautiful 

 bird about the size of the chaffinch, which, however, is 

 only an occasional visitant. The elegant Goldfinch 

 (Carduelis elegans] is too highly prized by professional 

 bird-fanciers to be very numerous anywhere except 

 at the dealer's ; it is, however, a common bird, and 

 generally nestles in gardens, orchards and shrubberies, 

 where its pretty, neat nest may be found in any of the 

 trees growing there. As its principal food is the seed 

 of thistles, which plants are here nearly as " thick as 

 autumnal leaves in Valombrosa," its wholesale capture 

 after the breeding season is much to be regretted. 

 The Brown Linnet (Linota cannabina), which, by-the- 

 bye, is much more gaily-coloured in summer than in 

 winter, is common on the Downs, where its nest, 

 occasionally provided with a snug lining of seed-down, 

 is generally found among the furze, bushes ; it is not 

 so frequently met with in the valley. We scarcely 

 know whether we should be justified in including the 

 Lesser Redpole (Linota Linaria) in our catalogue; 



