THE MOUNlAiN BUNTING 



Emberiza montana, Linn^us ; L'Ortolan de Montagne, Buffon ; Der Ber„'auinier, 

 Bechstein. 



This bird is smaller than the snow bunting, has a short, 

 strong yellow beak, with a black point ; the head is nearly flat, 

 the frontal band light chestnut ; the upper part of the neck and 

 back grey, with black streaks, most numerous on the back, 

 causing a resemblance to the female yellowhammer ; feet 

 black. 



The breast of the female is of a deeper colour than the male's. 



Observations This species, inhabiting the cold re^ons of Europe, is 



never found in great numbers. In Thuringia, and some other provinces of 

 Germany, they are seen generally every year, in March, the time of 

 passage, settling in pairs along the high roads, searching for a few undigested 

 grains in the dung of animals. Their song is shrill, tolerably pleasing, and 

 interrupted like the yellow-hammer's. They may be easily kept in the 

 liouse, either caged or not, feeding them on oats, bread, hemp, and other 

 seeds. These birds also appear uneasy during the night, especially in the 

 pairing season, uttering their call amidst the darkness. Some are occasiou- 

 ally met with of a dull orange on the upper part of the body, streaked with 

 yellow on the head, and deep orange on the back. These are young birds. 

 This species is caught in the same manner as the snow bunting. 



THE YELLOWHAMMER. 



Eraberiza citrinella, Linn^us ; Le Bruant, Bupfon ; Der Goldammer, Bechstein. 



However well known this bird may be, it is still necessary 

 that it should be described minutely, as the young males and 

 old females are often confounded with one another. It is six 

 inches and a half in length, of which the forked tail measures 

 three. The beak, five lines long, is dark brown in summer, 

 and ash grey in winter ; the feet are of a light bro^\^l. The 

 head of the old males is of a fine yellow, generally having 

 some streaks of dark olive scattered over the top and on the 

 cheeks; it is only in very old birds that the head and neck 

 are of a golden yellow, without any mixture ; the upper part 

 of the neck is olive ; the back black, mingled with reddish 

 grey ; the feathers have black up the middle, and the edges 



