THE YELLOWHAMMEE. 215 



which is at once longer, and a third lower. This song, al- 

 though not loud, may be heard at a considerable distance. The 

 Yellowhammer, though lively and active in a state of nature, 

 becomes shy and awkward in a cage or aviary. 



ADDITIONAL. This handsome, sprightly, and by no means 

 uncommon bird in this country, is sometimes known as the Yellow 

 Bunting ; it is also called the Yellow Yeldring or Yoldring, 

 Yellow Yowley, Yellow Yite, Yeldrock or Yolkring, Skite, and 

 Devil's Bird. It is, generally speaking, a favourite species, and 

 is very widely distributed, being found in most of the wooded 

 and cultivated districts of Britain and Ireland, where it perma- 

 nently resides. " In autumn," says MACGILLIVEAY, ^these birds 

 form large straggling flocks, which through the winter often 

 mingle with Chaffinches, Green Linnets, Sparrows, and other 

 species, in open weather resorting to the fields, and perching at 

 intervals on the hedges and bushes as well a,s on trees. When 

 the ground is covered with snow, they congregate about houses, 

 and frequent corn-yards. Their flight is undulated, light, strong, 

 and graceful, and they alight abruptly, jerking out their tail- 

 feathers. In spring and summer the male chants a dolefulsort 

 of ditty, composed of a few short, shrill notes, concluded with a 

 protracted one. Towards the beginning of April, the winter as- 

 sociations break up, and they choose their partners without the 

 manifestation of angry feelings, they being less addicted to quar- 

 rel than most small birds." 



During incubation, this author further informs us, "these 

 Buntings evince much anxiety about their charge, and when de- 

 prived of their eggs or young, continue some days about the 

 place, chanting at intervals their dolorous ditty, which, although 

 unaltered in its notes, must doubtless be meant as an expression 

 of their grief. In some parts of Scotland it is interpreted as sig- 

 nifying ' Deil, deil, deil take ye,' that is, the cruel nesters ; and 

 for this reason, probably, the Yellow Bunting is named the 

 Devil's Bird. 



" When perched on a tree, especially in windy weather, they 

 crouch close to the twigs, draw in their neck, and keep the tail 

 declined. After pairing, the male is frequently seen on a bush 

 or tree, moving his tail by sudden jerks, by which it is raised 

 and at the same time slightly expanded. His notes are then 

 usually two chirps, followed by a harsher note : chit, chit, chirr, 

 with considerable intervals. When feeding in the stubble fields, 

 they advance by very short leaps, with their breasts nearly 

 touching the ground ; when apprehensive of danger, crouch mo- 

 tionless j and when alarmed, give intimation to each other by 



