LITTLE BUNTING. 37 



to '53 in. A specimen in the writer's possession from Arch- 

 angel, and attributed to this species, is coloured like a normal 

 egg of the Lapland Bunting, and measures '71 by *57 in. 



The adult male in breeding plumage has the bill dark 

 brown with the lower mandible lighter : the sides of the 

 head, lower portion of the ear-coverts and a median streak 

 along the top of the head, dull chestnut ; on each side of this 

 streak is a broader stripe of deep black, which then passes 

 downward behind the ear-coverts and encloses a small patch 

 of buify- white ; the sides of the neck are dull white 

 almost forming a collar, but interrupted on the nape, the 

 feathers of which with those of the mantle, back, rump 

 and upper wing-coverts are dark brown, bordered with light 

 brown and chestnut ; the middle and greater wing-coverts 

 dark brown, bordered with greyish- white and tipped with 

 light buff, forming two light bars across the wing ; wing- 

 and tail-quills dark brown with narrow light brown edges, 

 except the two outer tail-quills which have each an elon- 

 gated white patch on the inner web ; chin light chestnut 

 becoming paler on the throat which is dull white ; breast, 

 belly and lower parts generally dull white with spots or 

 streaks of dark brown forming a band across the chest 

 continued along the sides of the body and flanks : legs, toes 

 and claws, dark brown. 



The bill in this species has scarcely a trace of the palatal 

 knob. The whole length is about five inches ; from the 

 carpal joint to the tip of the wing two inches and three- 

 quarters. 



The female much resembles the male, but the chestnut 

 of the head is less bright, and the stripes on the same part 

 broader and dark brown instead of black; the chin and 

 throat are only tinged with chestnut and the pectoral band 

 is less strongly marked. 



The young in autumn is very like the adult female, 

 but the broad stripes on the head are less well defined, the 

 margins of all the feathers above are more rufous and there 

 is a decidedly rufous tinge on all the lower parts from the 

 chin to the vent. 



