66 EMBERIZID.E. 



communication to Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser, describes 

 them on the Bosphorus as being similar to those of the 

 great Bunting, and in its manner of flying from one elevated 

 post to another, with its legs hanging down, the likeness is 

 obvious. Its song is said to be agreeable, and its nest to 

 be a compact structure, lined with fibres and hairs, and 

 placed either on the ground or in a low bush, often, accord- 

 ing to Col. Drummond-Hay, on the stump of an old vine. 

 The eggs, generally six in number, are quite unlike those of 

 any known species of Emberiza, being of a pale greenish- white, 

 speckled with light ash-colour and dull olive, besides a few 

 patches of dusky lavender. They measure from '9 to * 8 by 

 from "64 to -61 in. This species seems to subsist almost 

 entirely upon grain, in which respect it departs from most 

 of the normal Emberizidcs, and it is said to do considerable 

 damage to growing crops, though probably the young are 

 fed with insects. 



The adult male, in summer, has the upper mandible dark 

 grey, the lower, horn -coloured : the irides hazel : the head 

 and ear-coverts are deep black, traces of the brown edging 

 of the feathers in winter being however often visible ; nape, 

 sides of the breast, back scapulars, least wing- coverts and 

 rump, bright orange-brown or light bay ; wings hair-brown, 

 the middle and lower wing-coverts being broadly, and the 

 flight- feathers narrowly, edged with brownish-white ; tail 

 almost uniform hair-brown ; chin and the whole of the 

 lower parts, bright gamboge-yellow, which extends under 

 and behind the ear-coverts towards the nape so as almost to 

 form a collar : legs, toes and claws yellowish-brown. 



In winter the bright colours of the upper parts are almost 

 entirely hidden by the dull brown edging of the feathers, 

 and those of the back shew a dark brown shaft-stripe ; the 

 yellow of the lower parts is also clouded by the feathers 

 being tipped with ash-colour. The brilliant hues are how- 

 ever always perceptible at the base on examination. 



In the adult female the black of the head is replaced by 

 dark brown feathers with broad edges of a lighter shade, 

 having a yellowish tinge ; the mantle and rump are of 



