476 EMBERIZID^E. 



the middle or latter part of October in large flocks, which 

 seem chiefly to consist of the young of the year, or Moun- 

 tain Buntings, and of females, or young males, the Tawny 

 Buntings, with a few adult males intermixed ; which, at 

 this period, having scarcely acquired their winter's livery, 

 are in consequence nearer to the state of the tawny plumage. 

 Afterwards, if the season should be severe, small flocks 

 are seen, principally consisting of adult male birds in their 

 winter's dress, but never in such numbers as those in the 

 two states first mentioned. As the severity of the winter 

 increases, they leave the heaths, where they have fed upon 

 the seeds of various grasses, and descending to the lower 

 grounds, frequent the oat-stubbles ; and, if the snow lies 

 deep, they approach to the coasts, where the influence of 

 the sea-breeze soon exposes a sufficient breadth of ground 

 to afford them subsistence. Their call-note is pleasing, 

 and often repeated during their flight, which is always in 

 a very compact body ; and frequently before settling on 

 the ground they make sudden wheels, coming almost in 

 collision with each other, at which time a peculiar guttural 

 note is produced. They run with ease and celerity, like the 

 Lark genus, and never perch on trees." 



These flocks, diminished by separation and other causes, 

 are seen in Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, sometimes on 

 open heaths and warrens, at others in the marshes and 

 fields contiguous to the coast. A few reach the southern 

 counties, and have been seen from Sussex to Devonshire. 

 They are considered rare in Cornwall, have been noticed 

 in Worcestershire ; and Mr. Thompson writes me word 

 they are winter visitants to the mountainous parts of the 

 North of Ireland. 



On the Continent they annually visit the north of Ger- 

 many, France, and Holland. In the latter country, M. 



