THE BUNTINGS. 67 



brown ; wing-coverts edged with sandy-buff, and not tipped 

 with white. 



Range in Great Britain. A rare and accidental visitor. Has 

 occurred three or four times : near Brighton; in Yorkshire ; and 

 near London. 



Range outside the British Islands. A Siberian bird, extending 

 to the Pacific, and wintering plentifully in China. In the 

 winter it wanders westward, and has been taken in most of 

 the countries of Europe. It occurs as far west as Finland up 

 to 64 N. lat., near Archangel to 65, in the Urals to 62, 

 and Mr. Seebohm met with it on the Yenesei at the same 

 latitude. 



Habits. These are described as resembling those of the 

 Reed-Bunting, the bird frequenting the marshy pine-woods of 

 Northern Europe. It is said to have quite a melodious song. 



Nest. Described by Mr. Dresser as a carelessly-built struc- 

 ture, made entirely of fine wiry grass. 



Eggs. According to Mr. Dresser, these are like those of the 

 Reed-Bunting, but the ground-colour is white, with a warm, 

 almost reddish, tinge. The markings are redder than those 

 of the above-named bird, bolder, and chiefly collected in 

 a zone round the larger end of the egg. The two eggs in 

 the Seebohm Collection from Archangel are greenish-white, 

 mottled and clouded all over with greenish-brown, these 

 mottlings distributed over the entire egg. Axis, o'8 inch ; 

 diam., o'6. 



THE BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. EMBERIZA MELANOCEPHALA. 



Emberiza melanocephala, Scop., Ann., i., p. 142 (1769); Dresser, 

 B. Eur., iv., p. 151, pi. 206 (1872); B. O. U. List Br. B., 

 p. 59 (1883); Seeb., Br. B., ii., p. 165 (1884); Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus., xii., p. 503 (1888) ; Saunders, Man., p. 

 197 (1889). 



Euspiza melanocephala. Newt. ed. Yarr., ii., p. 64 (1876). 



Adult Male. Light bay colour above, paler on the rump, 

 which is orange-chestnut. A collar round the hind-neck, as 

 well as the entire under surface, golden-yellow ; no streaks on 

 the sides of the body ; upper mandible blacki'sh ; head black, 



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