1G2 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



tainly more properly called, the " Lark Bunting," 

 is not very uncommon in parts of the county, and is 

 resident throughout the year; but it seems to be 

 capricious in its choice of localities : in this neigh- 

 bourhood I have never been able to find it, although 

 the country would appear to suit its habits in every 

 waj% except perhaps that the soil is not sufficiently 

 clayey. 



The food of this bird consists principally of 

 grain and seeds. Yarrell quotes an instance of its 

 doing much damage in search of the former : " It 

 could hardly be supposed that this bird, not larger 

 than a Lark, is capable of doing such serious injury ; 

 yet I this morning witnessed a rick of barley standing 

 in a detached field entirely stripped of its thatching, 

 which this Bunting effected by seizing the end of the 

 straw and deliberately drawing it out to search for 

 any grain it might contain." To balance this pro- 

 pensity, certainly mischievous in case of a badly- 

 built rick, this bird feeds also on the seeds of 

 various weeds, and the young birds, as is the case 

 with many of the Conirostres, are fed with insects 

 and their larvse.* 



The nest is usually placed on or very near the 

 ground, concealed amongst coarse herbage or thick 

 bramble-bushes : it is made of straw and roots, 

 mixed with dry grass, and is lined with hair. 



* Yarrell, vol. i., p. 505. 



