60 NATURAL HISTORY [Birds. 



hate the pert, mischievous sparrow ; however, if it is in a place 

 where the people are not fond to go to, the latter always makes 

 good his possession. 



GENUS X THE BUNTING. 



Gen. CAar. Bill strong and conic, the sides of each mandible bending inwards; 

 in the roof of the upper mandible a hard knob, of use to comminute or break 

 hard seeds, 



Species 1. The Bunting* 







Wil, Orn. 267. Raii Syn. AD. 93. Emberiza Miliaria, Lin. Sys. 308. Brit. 



Zool.318. Sib. Scot. 18. 



THE Bunting continues with us the whole year, builds in 

 the fields of corn, often in a tuft ; shot in the farm-yards in 

 winter in great numbers ; is good eating, being full and fat. 



The bill is strong, and furnished with a knob in the roof of 

 the upper mandible, excellently fitted to break and bruise the 

 hardest seeds ; a wise contrivance of Providence, which adapts 

 every organ in different creatures to their different ways of 

 life. The whole upper part of the body is yellowish brown, 

 mixed with black strokes ; the belly much lighter, and in 

 many the breast is black, or spotted pretty thick with this co- 

 lour ; but this perhaps is in young birds. The quill-feathers 



