THE CTRL BUNTING. 255 



his beautiful black head, contrasted with the white 

 collar, are very conspicuous. The song consists 

 but of two or three continually repeated notes, 

 which if listened to for any time become monoton- 

 ous and tedious ; but which, to the passer-by, who 

 hears but little, seem not altogether unmusical. 

 This bird inhabits the borders of ponds and 

 sides of lakes, dwelling among the green wil- 

 lows and the brown reeds, and hiding its nest 

 among the thick herbage at the side of the stream, 

 or at the base of some low bush at a short dis- 

 tance from the ground. It is made of moss and 

 water grasses, lined with hair and finer species of 

 grass. The eggs are four or five in number, of a 

 pale purplish brown, streaked with darker brown. 

 The food of this species consists of grain and 

 seeds, and of those insects which hover so nume- 

 rously about the waters, or their larvae. It is a 

 frequent bird on marshy lands. 



The Cirl Bunting* [Emheriza cirlus) is peculiar 

 to the sea-coast, never going far inland. Its song 



* The Cirl Bunting is six inches and a half in length. The 

 head is olive, streaked with black and yellow; the back chestnut; 

 wings and tail dusky black with reddish edges ; chin and throat 

 black bounded by a crescent of yellow ; under parts dull yellowish, 

 with a band of brown across the belly. 



