THE ORTOLAN. 117 



the body, and ycllowisli white on the under, speckled like the 

 lark's, with blackish brown spots. 



In the female the colours are rather lighter. 



Habitation. — In its wild state this bird is common in most parts of 

 Europe ; in the more northerly parts it does not remain during the winter, 

 and only appears at certain seasons ; in March they are met with amongst 

 the larks in the fields, meadows, and on the high roads, often perched on 

 the tops of willows, or on a stake in a hedge, on a milestone, or a clod of 

 earth. ^ 



In a room it may occupy a lark's cage, but is more commonly let run 

 about at liberty. 



Food. — Both at liberty and in confinement its food is similar to that of 

 the yellowhammer ; it is however a more delicate bird. 



Breeding. — Its nest, placed under a bush, does not rest on the ground 

 but on the turf; it is constructed of the stalks of grass, and lined with horse- 

 hair. The eggs are grey, speckled with chestnut and streaked with blflck. 



Mode of Taking. — In autumn these birds may be taken in an area 

 with a decoy bird ; in winter, before the barn door, with birdlime or a 

 clapper ; in the spring with a bird-call. 



Attractive Qualities Their song, shorter and less soft than that of 



the yellowhammer, has only four or five notes ; from their dwelling on the 

 r in the last, they have been given the name of stocking weavers* 



THE ORTOLAN. 



Emberiza hortu'ena, Linnaeus -, L'Ortolan, Buffon ; Der Girtenammer, 

 Bechstein. 



It is necessary to give a very exact description of this spe- 

 cies, as not only bivdcatchei-s, but even some naturalists, give 

 the name of Ortolan to several very different species. Under 

 this name the former sell all rare birds of this kind. The true 

 ortolan has a wider breast and stronger beak than the yellow- 

 hammer ; it is six inches and a half in length, of which the 

 tail measures two and a half ; the beak, six inches long, is 

 thick at the base, with a bony tubercle at the palate, and is of 

 a yellowish flesh- colour ; the iris dark brown. The legs, which 

 stand ten lines in height, are flesh-coloured ; the head and 

 neck is greyish olive ; the throat and a streak on the neck 

 from the angle of the beak, deep yellow. 



The female is rather smaller, of a changeable shining ash- 

 colour on its head and neck, streaked with fine black lines. 

 Its breast, and the upper and under part of its body, are lighter 

 than in the male. 



