504 EMBERIZID^E. 



tion was taken from a bird caught at sea, a few miles off the 

 Yorkshire coast, hy the master of a trading vessel, in May 

 1822. This specimen, which came into the possession of 

 Mr. Fox, was lent to Mr. Bewick for his use in his work 

 on British Birds. A fine male specimen was killed near 

 Manchester in November 1827 ; and in 1837 another 

 male Ortolan was caught near London, along with Yellow 

 Buntings, in a bird-catcher's net, and deposited in the 

 aviary at the Zoological Gardens, as recorded by Mr. 

 Blyth. 



At the end of April 1841 a fine specimen was shot 

 whilst sitting on the parapet of the viaduct of the Brighton 

 and London Railway, near the Brighton terminus. This 

 example is now in the possession of Mr. William Borrer, 

 jun., of Henfield. 



The Ortolan Bunting is only a summer visitor to the 

 middle and northern countries of Europe ; but considering 

 the high northern latitude which this bird attains every 

 season, it is rather matter of surprise that more specimens 

 have not been recorded as obtained in this country. It 

 visits and produces its young in Denmark, Sweden, and 

 Norway ; and Linnaeus, in his Tour, mentions having seen 

 it in Lapland on the 22nd of May. M. Temminck says, 

 it is sometimes found in Holland. M. Vieillot observes of 

 this species, in his Faune Fran$aise, that it is most nume- 

 rous in the southern parts of France, where it arrives about 

 the same time as the Swallows, and a little before the 

 Quails. Mr. Hoy, in a letter to me, says in reference to 

 the habits of this bird on a part of the Continent farther 

 north than that referred to by M. Vieillot, " that it makes 

 its appearance at the beginning of May, and almost imme- 

 diately pairs and commences building ; its monotonous 

 chirping notes are heard the whole day long ; these birds 



