THE CORN-BUNTING. 109 



brown. This plumage is acquired by complete moult in Sept. -Oct. 

 N.B. There is much individual variation between a deep buff 

 and a grey tint in brown of upper-parts and between yellowish- 

 buff to buffish- white in under-parts, but British specimens are 

 never so grey -brown on upper -parts nor so whitish on under-parts 

 in winter as many Continental specimens. Summer. No moult. 

 Abrasion makes brown of upper-parts considerably paler and 

 more greyish, less buff, and under-parts much whiter, less buff, 

 and the streaks and spots browner, smaller and less numerous, 

 some being worn away altogether. 



Nestling. Down, yellowish-buff, long and plentiful ; distribu- 

 tion, inner supra-orbital, occipital, humeral, spinal, ulnar, femoral, 

 crural and ventral ; filaments on uropygium. Mouth, inside flesh, 

 no tongue-spots ; externally, flanges yellow. 



Juvenile. Ground-colour of upper-parts paler (buff or buffish- 

 brown) than adult and black -brown streaks much broader and 

 more prominent. Centre of crown often with few or no streaks, 

 sides of crown with dark streaks coalescing and forming stripes ;. 

 upper tail-coverts with distinct dark brown centres ; lores and 

 distinct stripe over and behind eyes varying pale to deep buff ; 

 ear-coverts more buff and less marked black than adult ; chin 

 and throat almost uniform buff with a few black -brown spots in 

 malar region ; upper-breast much as adult ; rest of breast, belly, 

 and under tail-coverts whiter and uniform ; flanks with very 

 few streaks ; tail, wing-feathers (especially inner secondaries) and 

 all wing-coverts with well-marked margins and tips of buff. 



First winter and summer. Like adults. The juvenile-plumage 

 is completely (including wings and tail) moulted in Sept. -Oct. 



Measurements and structure. ^ wing 89-101 mm., tail 67-76, 

 tarsus 24-27, bill from skull 12-15 (12 British measured). $ wing 

 as male. Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd and 4th longest, 

 2nd often equal sometimes 1 mm. shorter, 5th 2-4 shorter, 6th, 

 9-11 shorter; 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries 

 about equal 9th primary but longest equals 6th. Other structure 

 as E. citrinella but knob on palate is considerably larger. 



Soft parts. Bill dark horn along ridge of culmen, rest yellowish ; 

 legs and feet straw -yellow tinged flesh ; iris dark brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. Subspecies which have been 

 described do not seem to be satisfactorily separable. Lark-like 

 coloration, heavily streaked breast, and want of white in outer 

 tail-feathers distinguish it from all other British Buntings. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. Found not only in cultivated districts but 

 on rough pastures and wastes, especially near coast. In winter 

 assembles in flocks. Unobtrusive and sluggish in temperament, 

 and without any outstanding feature in its brown plumage. In 

 appearance a robust, blunt-headed Sky-Lark, lacking white outer 

 tail-feathers ; it would often be overlooked except for its song. 



