48 YELLOW BUNTING GIRL BUNTING. 



Habits. Sedentary, and fond of sitting on the top of a 

 hedge, telegraph wire, &c., uttering its curious, monotonous 

 song. Flight laboured and clumsy, with dangling legs. In 

 autumn gregarious. 



Food. Insects and their larvae ; also peas, beans, and unripe 

 corn. In winter, grain and seeds. 



Nest. May or June. One brood. 



Site. Close to or on the ground, amongst growing herbage, 

 in hollow of grassy bank, among brambles. 



Materials. Dry grass, straw, roots, and a little moss, lined 

 with fibres, grasses, and horsehair. Nest-cup deep. 



Eggs. Four to six. Pale purplish or creamy white, blotched, 

 streaked, and scribbled, in characteristic Bunting fashion, with 

 dark purplish brown. 



YELLOW BUNTING OR YELLOW HAMMEE 



(Emberiza citrinella). 



Resident, and abundant throughout Great Britain. 



Haunts. Open country and well-cultivated districts. 



Plumage. Head, neck and under parts bright yellow, more 

 or less streaked with blackish ; upper parts chestnut, streaked 

 with dusky ; white edges of tail conspicuous in flight. Bill 

 bluish. Legs pale brown. Length 6 in. Female, much less 

 yellow, and more streaked with reddish brown. Young, like 

 female in non-breeding dress, i.e., more ashy on upper parts 



Language. Song, the familiar "Little bit of bread and no 

 cheese," with the last syllable drawn out. Call-note, " chick- 

 chick-churr." 



Habits. Fond of perching on the top of a hedge or gate- 

 post, etc., to sing. Rather sedentary, but flight fairly rapid 

 and undulating. In autumn gregarious, often consorting with 

 the Finches. On the ground it hops. 



Food. Insects and their larvae ; in winter, grain and seeds. 



Nest. April onwards. Two or three broods. 



Site. Near or on the ground, in side of hedge amongst 

 herbage, at base of low bush, among brambles ; seldom in 

 furze-bushes. 



Materials. Straw, dead grass, stalks, roots, and moss, lined 

 with fibres and horsehair. Cup fairly deep. 



Eggs. Four to five. Pale purplish white, streaked, veined, 

 and scribbled with purplish red and greyish lavender ; variable. 



GIRL BUNTING (Emberiza cirlus). 



Resident. Local, being most abundant in the South. Rarer 

 towards the North. Unknown in Ireland. 



Haunts. Cultivated districts where there are plenty of trees 

 bordering the fields. 



