THE BUNTINGS. 69 



V. THE YELLOW BUNTING. EMBERIZA CITRINELLA. 



Emberiza citrinella, Linn., S. N., i., p. 309 (1766) ; Macg., Br. 



B., i., p. 445 (1837); Dresser, B. Eur., iv., p. 171, pi. 



209 (1871); Newt. ed. Yarn, ii., p. 43 (1876) ; B. O. U. 



List Br. B., p. 60 (1883) ; Seeb., Br. B., ii., p. 160 (1884) ; 



Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., xii., p. 515 (1888); Saunders, 



Man., p. 201 (1889); Wyatt, Br. B., pi. 17 (1894). 



Adult Male. Brown above, with black centres to the feathers; 



lower back and rump vinous-chestnut ; under surface of body 



yellow, greener on the fore-neck and sides of neck ; no stripes 



on the throat and breast, but \hsflanks distinctly streaked with 



blackish-brown ; crown yellow, greenish on the sides ; eyebrow 



yellow ; breast and sides of the body chestnut or bay. Total 



length, 7 inches; culmen, 0-45: wings, 3-6; tail,3*o; tarsus,o - 75. 



In winter the colours are much duller, and the bright 



plumage, especially of the chestnut breast, is much obscured. 



In the spring the dusky edges gradually become abraded and~ 



wear off, so that the full plumage is gained without a moult. 



Adult Female. Never so brightly coloured as the male, and 

 having the yellow on the crown concealed, and the throat and 

 breast striped. Total length, 6^3; wing, 3*2. 



Young. Resembles the old female, but is very distinctly 

 streaked below. 



Eange in Great Britain. Universal, breeding everywhere, ex- 

 cept in the Orkneys, where it is only known as a visitant. 



Eange outside the British Islands. Generally resident through- 

 out Central Europe, but a summer visitor in the northern 

 portion of its range, which extends as far as 70 in Scandi- 

 navia, 65 1 in Eastern Russia, and 64 on the River Ob. It 

 reaches Turkestan to the eastward, but is only a winter visitor, 

 as it is also to the greater part of Southern Europe. 



Habits. In England a very common and familiar bird, 

 ecognisable in every country lane and hedgerow by its some- 

 vhat monotonous note, which sounds like " a little bit of 

 sread and no cheese" In winter it joins with the Chaffinches, 

 Sparrows, and Greenfinches in the stubbles and farm-yards, and 

 f eeds largely on grain. The young birds, however, are entirely 

 fed on insects and caterpillars. 



