498 EMBERIZID^E. 



of the European Continent. In France it is only seen when 

 going northward in spring, and again when returning and 

 going southward in autumn. It is very abundant in Swit- 

 zerland and Italy, and along the shores of the Mediterra- 

 nean. It is found in Sicily, Malta, Algeria and Crete. 

 Mr. H. E. Strickland says of this bird in Smyrna, that it 

 haunts the vicinity of streams, and seems in that country to 

 replace the Yellow Bunting, which he did not notice in 

 Asia Minor. 



The adult male in summer has the beak bluish lead 

 colour, the palatal knob about the same size as that of the 

 Yellow Bunting ; the irides hazel ; the top of the head 

 dark olive, streaked with black ; over the eye, and on the 

 cheeks, a patch of bright lemon-yellow; the ear-coverts 

 dark dusky green ; the back rich chestnut brown ; the 

 primaries and secondaries dusky black, with very narrow 

 yellowish edges ; the tertials, the small and the large 

 wing-coverts, dusky black in the centre, broadly margined 

 with chestnut ; upper tail-coverts yellowish-olive, streaked 

 with dusky grey ; tail-feathers dusky black ; the outer two 

 on each side with a patch of white on the inner broad 

 webs ; the central pair rather shorter than the others, 

 and tinged with red, the rest with very narrow light- 

 coloured edges. The chin and throat black ; below the 

 black a crescentic patch of bright lemon-yellow, the ends of 

 which reach to the inferior edge of the dark ear-coverts ; 

 upper part of the breast dull olive, bounded below by a 

 chestnut band, which is narrowest in the middle ; belly and 

 under tail-coverts dull yellow ; legs, toes, and claws, light 

 brown. 



In winter the plumage is less brilliant generally, and the 

 black feathers of the head and throat have lighter-coloured 

 margins. 



