WARBLERS— BUNTINGS— FINCHES 453 



Asia as far as China. On migration it visits northern Africa between Abyssinia 



and Morocco; and as a straggler it is known in southern Germany and a few 



localities farther north. The migrations take place in April and August. 



The Sardinian warbler (Sylvia sarda) deserves brief notice 

 Warblers 



on account of being apparently restricted to Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, 



the south of France, and the Iberian Peninsula. Another common species, 

 Bonelli's warbler (Phylloscopus bonellii), is mainly African though often breeding 

 north of the Mediterranean. Generally arriving in May. it departs again towards 

 the end of July. In length it measures 4| inches. Above, the colour is light 

 brown suffused with 3-ellow, and beneath white. There is an indistinct whitish 

 eye-stripe, and the axillaries are brilliant sulphur-yellow. The favourite haunts 

 of this warbler are amongst forests sloping towards the south, where it nests in 

 the latter half of May. 



Southern Europe is the home of two buntings whose breeding- 

 areas extend far beyond the shores of the Mediterranean ; the first 

 of these, the meadow-bunting (Embcriza cia), ranging through Asia Minor and 

 western Asia to the Himalaya, and migrating in autumn to India, Persia, and 

 northern Africa. As a rule, it frequents open hills covered with brushwood, in the 

 neighbourhood of water, where it builds on the ground or a little above under the 

 shelter of a shrub. On the Rhine the nest is most frequently situated in vineyard 

 walls, in crevices and hollows surrounded with low bushes. The eggs are whitish 

 grey marked with grey spots and dark brown lines. In length the meadow- 

 bunting measures 6 inches. In colour it is brown, with grey on the crown and 

 neck, and black on the sides of the head, with a black stripe through the eye, and 

 another extending from the gape of the beak to the ear-coverts. The second kind, 

 the cirl bunting (E. cirlus), is resident not only in central and southern Europe 

 but also in Asia Minor and north-western Africa, its breeding-range extending 

 through Germany and France into England, while as a straggler it is known 

 farther afield. In haunts and habits this bird resembles the rather smaller 

 yellow bunting, but it is more wary, and the song is somewhat similar, but 

 without the long final note. The cirl bunting may readily be distinguished 

 by the olive-brown head, the yellow eye-stripe, the black lores and ear-coverts, 

 the black and yellow throat, the brown and yellow breast, and the brown 

 streaks on the flanks. 



Although the citril finch (Chrysomitris citrinella) is sometimes 

 found breeding in brushwood, it prefers sunny mountain declivities. 

 It is a lively, cautious bird, never resting long on one spot, and keeping to a great 

 extent to the upper branches of trees, although when in search of food, hopping on 

 the ground. Seeds and young tree-buds and blossoms constitute its chief food, 

 although it may also consume grubs and caterpillars. Its song is a trilling, 

 melodious whistle, not unlike that of the canary. The young resemble grey 

 canaries, and are fed from the crop. The cocks ascend with a fluttering courting 

 flight, like that of the woodlark, although not so high. The females and young 

 migrate in flocks in October to warmer countries, to return in April, although they 

 often have to wait till May for the snow to melt. This bird, which is nearly five 

 inches in length, is chiefly green in colour ; but the nape and sides of the throat are 



