136 



examples had been roving about as in the case of the Olivaceous 

 Warbler and were captured on their return migration. 



Black-headed Bunting. This species has already been com- 

 mented upon. 



Girl Bunting. It is remarkable to find this species included 

 in the list of casual visitors from the south-east as we read 

 (p. 371). " The bird, however, is a pre-eminently western species 

 . and in fact affords another proof of the rare occur- 

 rences of western and southern species in Heligoland." An 

 example killed April 22nd, 1862, and a second March 31st, 1883. 



Red-headed Bunting. An eastern species. Two old males 

 obtained. First on June 20, 1860. Second some years later in 

 the month of September. 



Meadow Bunting. Eesident in Southern Europe and Northern 

 Africa. An authentic example killed March 8th, 1882, an old 

 male. An individual shot at this early date can hardly have lost 

 its partner. 



Cretschmar' s Bunting. A summer visitor to South Eastern 

 Europe occasionally occurring as far west as France. "About 

 a dozen examples, for the most part fine males, obtained between 

 May, 1848 and 1867. In the course of the last twenty years, 

 however, it has been observed and shot on one occasion only." In 

 accounting for the latter fact, two explanations occur in the light 

 of Herr Gatke's theories. First, this species has latterly enjoyed 

 a remarkable immunity from casualties during the breeding 

 season ; or secondly, as he suggests himself, the absence now of 

 warm and fine weather in the early summer. 



Large-billed Reed Bunting. A resident in South Eastern 

 Eussia. One caught April 24th, 1879, others possibly seen. It 

 is difficult to think that this individual had already lost its mate 

 so early in the year. The species, moreover, is said to be a 

 resident in its European breeding grounds. 



As has been pointed out, the presence of these so-called south- 

 eastern species on Heligoland is in one place attributed to the death 

 of one of a pair of breeding birds, causing the survivor to take up 

 the migratory flight anew, in search of a fresh mate. It is, there- 

 fore, interesting to read on p. 10 that, " occurrences of this kind, 

 i.e.', south-eastern species, are conditioned by the co-operation of 



