EMBEKIZID^E. 163 



In plumage the Common Bunting somewhat re- 

 sembles the Sky Lark, but is somewhat larger than 

 that bird. The beak is pale yellowish brown, the 

 upper mandible the darker ; irides dark hazel ; head 

 and nape brown, with a narrow streak of dark brown, 

 almost black, in the centre of each feather ; back and 

 scapulars the same, but the markings are larger ; the 

 tail-coverts nearly the same, with a slight olive tinge 

 and the centres of the feathers not so dark ; lesser 

 wing-coverts dark dusky brown, tipped and partly 

 margined with light brown, making a bar of that 

 colour across the wing ; greater coverts dark brown, 

 tipped and rather narrowly margined with light 

 brown ; quills dusky brown, very slightly margined 

 with light brown, tertials more broadly so; tail 

 rather lighter than the quills; throat very pale 

 brown, speckled with very dark dusky, almost 

 black, chiefly in a streak on each side ; breast 

 the same, but with larger speckles; belly and 

 under tail- coverts the same, without the speckles; 

 the flanks are rather darker brown, with elongated 

 dark streaks ; legs, toes and claws pale yellow-brown. 

 Varieties of this bird occasionally occur, the most 

 usual more or less white or cream-colour. 



The eggs are of a reddish white or pale purple- 

 red ground, streaked and spotted with dark purple - 

 brown ; about one inch in length by eight lines and 

 a half in breadth : this is the description given by 

 Yarrell, and corresponds in everything but the length 



