THE CIRL BUNTING. 121 



breast greyer and less streaked ; chestnut on sides of breast more 

 prominent. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Whole upper-parts streaked black, feathers broadly 

 margined pale buff or brownish-buff ; under-parts pale yellowish- 

 grey with black-brown streaks, thicker on breast and sides of throat, 

 finer on flanks and smaller on chin, centre of throat, and belly ; 

 stripe over eye and sides of head yellowish-buff, spotted dark brown ; 

 tail and wing-feathers as adult ; greater coverts edged and tipped 

 buff ; median coverts tipped duller buff than adult ; lesser coverts 

 black with very narrow buff tips. 



First winter and, summer. Like adults and cannot be distin- 

 guished with certainty, but some females with browner and more 

 streaked upper-breasts and browner crowns (especially noticeable 

 in summer) may be first summer. The juvenile body-plumage and 

 wing-coverts, innermost secondaries and sometimes middle pair of 

 tail-feathers are moulted in Aug.-Oct., but not primary-coverts nor 

 rest of wings and tail. 



Measurements and structure. $ wing 76-83 mm., tail 65-73, 

 tarsus 18-19, bill from skull 10.5-12 (12 measured). wing 71-80. 

 Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd to 5th longest and equal, 2nd 

 and 6th 2-4 mm. shorter ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. 

 Other structure as E. citrinella. 



Soft parts. Bill: upper mandible dark horn, lower bluish; 

 legs and feet brownish-flesh ; iris dark brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED SPECIES. No subspecies recognized. For 

 differences of E. citrinella and E. aureola see under those species ; 

 cannot be confused with any other British Bunting. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS. In form, and to a large extent in behaviour, 

 resembles Yellow Bunting. In appearance male easily dis- 

 tinguished by black throat, lores, and ear-coverts, and olive-grey 

 band on chest, but female and young only with difficulty by 

 brown rump not chestnut as in Yellow Bunting. In 

 winter often associates with small parties of Yellow Buntings 

 and finches. Song, always in one tone, has been likened to 

 Yellow Bunting's without final long-drawn " cheese," but is 

 much more like loud rattling phrase of Lesser Whitethroat's. 

 Often uttered from considerable elevation in elm or other tree, 

 but in open country from top of bush, junipers being much 

 affected. Call- and alarm-note " zit," much like Yellow Bunting's, 

 but in a lower key. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Breeds in hedge-rows, gorse-bushes, brambles, 

 and bank-sides, generally above ground, but also on it. Nest. 

 Bents, roots, much moss, and sometimes leaves in foundation ; lined 

 fine grasses and horsehair. Eggs. 3-5, very rarely 6, normally 4 

 in England. Ground-colour bluish or greenish in tint, and streaks 

 and hair-lines almost black ; bolder than in Yellow Bunting's eggs, 



