BIRDS 



close to a flock of over a hundred. All the 

 visitors are apparently of the smaller species, 

 in fact I have never seen the big form known 

 as the ' parrot-crossbill ' south of the Scottish 

 border. Mr. Borrer however records two 

 specimens of the large form captured within 

 the county. 



86. Two-barred Crossbill. Loxia bifasilata 



(C. L. Brehm). 

 A beautiful male was shot between West- 

 field and Sedlescombe on February 23, 1899, 

 and exhibited by Mr. Norman Ticehurst at a 

 meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club 

 held on July 4, 1899. 



87. Black-headed Bunting. Emhcriza melano- 



cephala, Scopoli. 

 An old female of this species, the first 

 British example, was shot about November 3, 



1868, on Brighton racecourse (Gould, Ibis, 



1869, p. 128). Another was picked up on 

 the railway near Bexhill on November 23, 

 1894 {Zoc/ngist, 1897, p. 273). 



88. Corn-Bunting. Emheriza mtitaria, Linn. 

 A very local species, being common near 



the coast and rare in north and west Sussex, 

 the country in these parts being probably too 

 heavily timbered to suit its tastes. 



89. Yellow Hammer. Emheriza citrinella, 



Linn. 

 A common resident. 



90. Cirl Bunting. Emheriza cir/us, Linn. 

 A local species generally found near the 



coast about Brighton, Worthing and Bognor. 

 The cirl bunting rarely visits the Weald. It 

 nests regularly near St. Leonards, Winchelsea 

 and Worthing. 



91. Ortolan Bunting. Emheriza hortiilana, 



Linn. 

 The ortolan bunting was considered to be 

 at one time a regular spring and summer 

 visitor to the fig gardens near Lancing, and 

 before the days of the Wild Birds Protection 

 Act a few were certainly taken near there 

 by the bird-catchers. Now it is only a rare 

 summer visitor. I have a specimen in my 

 collection which was captured near Brighton, 

 and which I obtained from the late Mr. Sways- 

 land, who had kept it alive for a short time. 

 Mr. Borrer records some six instances of its 

 capture, and Mr. Pratt says he received two 

 in 1896 respectively from Rottingdean and 

 Eastbourne. 



92. Rustic Bunting. Emheriza rustica, Pallas. 

 The first example of the rustic bunting 

 I 28 



known to have occurred in England was 

 caught near Brighton on October 23, 1867. 

 It is now in the collection of Mr. T. G. Monk 

 of Lewes. 



93. Little Bunting. Emheriza pinilla, Pallas. 

 The only British example of the little 



bunting was taken alive near Brighton and 

 brought to Mr. Swaysland on November 2, 

 1864. It is now in Mr. Monk's collection. 



94. Reed - Bunting. Emheriza schaeriic/us, 



Linn. 

 Resident by the rivers and marshes, but in 

 no part of Sussex very plentiful. 



95. Snow-Bunting. Plectrophmax nivalis 



(Linn.) 

 A winter visitor, arriving with the snow, 

 and in cold seasons numerous, especially near 

 the coast. The snow-bunting has a very 

 sweet song. In the barren wastes of Iceland, 

 where the stillness is seldom broken except by 

 the melancholy calls of the whimbrel and the 

 golden plover, the notes of this little bird are 

 singularly effective. 



96. Lapland Bunting. Cakarius lappo?iicus 



(Linn). 

 A rare autumn or winter visitor. A speci- 

 men in my collection was caught in the 

 winter of 1878 and kept alive until it had 

 completely assumed its full summer plumage. 

 I consider this bunting a far more regular 

 visitor than it is generally supposed to be. I 

 have known one lark-catcher to take as many 

 as four in two years. 



[Red-winged Starling. Agelaiis phxniceiis 

 (Pallas^). 



This rare visitor, so common in America, 

 is said to have occurred twice within the 

 county (Borrer), but it is very doubtful whether 

 the species should be included in the birds of 

 Great Britain.] 



97. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. 



Next to the sparrow the commonest of birds 

 and still increasing in number. Formerly the 

 starling generally nested either in houses or in 

 old trees in their immediate vicinity, but now 

 they will even repair to the lonely depths of 

 the forest and evict the woodpeckers. 



98. Rose-coloured Pastor. Pastor roscus 



(Linn.) 

 The rose-coloured pastor has occurred 

 several times in Sussex, notably of late years. 

 There is a beautiful adult male in the Borrer 

 collection shot near Brighton on August 20, 

 1870. 

 I 36 



