213 TIIE ORTOLAN". 



the village. It could hardly be supposed tliat this bird, not 

 larger than a Lark, is capable of doing 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 the ear might vet contain ; the base of the 

 rick being entirely surrounded by tne straw, one resting on the 

 ground, the other against the mow as it slid down from the sum- 

 mit, and regularly placed as if by the hand ; and so completely 

 was the thatching pulled off, that the immediate removal of the 

 corn became necessary. The Sparrow and other birds burrow 

 into the stack and pilfer the corn ; but the deliberate operation 

 of unroofing the edifice, appears to be the habit of this Bunting 

 alone." 



93. THE OETOLAN 

 Emberiza Hortulena, LIN. L' Ortolan, BUF. Der Gartenammer, BECH. 



Description. An exact description of this bird is the more 

 necessary, as both naturalists and birdsellers give the name of 

 Ortolan to many distinct species. Under this name the latter 

 offer for sale all rare birds which seem at all allied to this 

 species. 



The Ortolan is about the size of the Yellowhammer, although 

 having a wider breast, and stronger beak. It is about six 

 inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two 

 inches and a half. The beak is six lines long, and flesh-co- 

 loured ; the iris dark brown ; the feet ten lines in height, and 

 flesh-coloured. The head and neck are a greyish olive ; the 

 throat, and a stripe which passes from the lower corner of 

 the beak down the neck, bright yellow. The back and the 

 scapulars are reddish brown, spotted with black; the rump 

 dirty greyish brown. The under part of the body is reddish 

 yellow, mottled with fight brown ; the pen feathers dark 

 brown, edged some with yellowish red, other with grey. The 

 tail is blackish ; the two exterior feathers having on them a 

 wedge-shaped white speck ; and the others being bordered with 

 yellowish red. 



The female is somewhat smaller; the head and neck are 

 tinged with grey, and marked with long blackish lines ; the 

 reast is also less brown ; and the whole plumage lighter. 



In the young males, before moulting, the throat is a dull 

 yellow, mixed with grey ; the breast and belly are reddish 



