154 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



Levels, in the winter of 1866 ; here, formerly, a good 

 bag of long bills might usually be made during autumn, 

 winter, and early spring. For the last ten or twelve 

 years, however, their numbers have been gradually 

 falling off, till, at the present time, I am afraid the 

 ground is almost useless as a Snipe beat. 



YELLOW BUNTING. 



Case 190. 



The Yellowhammer is one of our commonest birds, 

 being plentiful at all times and seasons. 



I once observed a large number of these birds, 

 together with Chaffinches, feeding on the flesh of a dead 

 horse which was hanging against a dog kennel in the 

 Highlands during a heavy snowstorm. On the joints 

 being placed on the ground and the snow swept from 

 them, the poor birds came down in hundreds and settled 

 on the meat. 



They appear to be more hardy than our northern 

 visitors, the Bramblings, as during severe weather the 

 large flocks of that bird disappear almost entirely from 

 the Highlands, and are found scattered over the southern 

 counties of England, while the Yellowhammers con- 

 trive to weather the storm in their native glens, ob- 

 taining what food and shelter they can round the 

 farm-buildings and houses. 



The specimens in the case were shot in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Brighton, in the summer of 1872. 



