358 EMBERIZA 



ad. (Turkestan). Crown, nape, and hind-neck ashy grey ; upper 

 parts greyer than in E. hortulana, the under parts paler, the breast marked 

 with pale chestnut, and the yellow on the head and throat replaced by 

 greyish white. Culmen 0'5, wing 3*5, tail 2'9, tarsus O75 inch. The 

 female differs only in being rather paler and duller in colour. 



Hob. Transcaspia, rare as far west as the Caucasus and 

 Crimea ; Persia, Afghanistan, the Altai range, and Turkestan ; 

 wintering in the N.W. portions of the plains of India as far 

 south as Khandala and Chanda, and east as Etawah. 



In habits it appears to most nearly resemble E. c&sia, affect- 

 ing rocky, uneven ground where there are bushes or low trees, 

 and Dr. Finsch met with it in desolate rocky gorges in the 

 mountains. Mr. Blanford found a nest in Persia about 70 

 miles south west of Karman at an elevation of about 8,000 feet, 

 on the 22nd. May, in a bash about a foot from the ground. It was 

 constructed of moss, neatly and compactly made, and contained 

 three eggs, very pale green in colour with small distinct rounded 

 surface-spots, and minute dots of purplish black, and fainter 

 purplish grey shell-markings, the latter confined chiefly to the 

 larger end. In size they measure 0*9 by 0'65. 



517. CRETZSCHMAR'S BUNTING. 

 EMBERIZA OEESIA. 



Emberiza ccesia, Cretzsch. in Kiipp. Atlas, p. 17, Taf. 10, fig. b (1826) ; 

 Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 181 ; Naum. xiii. 2 p. 172, Taf. 381, figs. 3, 4 ; 

 Dresser, iv. p. 213, pis. 215, fig. 2, 216 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 xii. p. 535. 



Bmiant cendrillard, French ; Ortolano-grigio, Ital. ; Grauer 

 Ortolan, German. 



( ad. (Asia Minor). Crown, ear-coverts, and nape, a narrow streak 

 on each side of the throat, and a band across the upper breast clear blue 

 grey ; lores, a ring round the eye, a moustachial stripe, and throat pale 

 chestnut-red ; upper parts rufous brown, the back streaked with dark 

 brown ; wings and tail dark brow r n externally margined with rufous, the 

 two outer rectrices white on terminal part of the inner web ; under parts 

 deep chestnut ; bill reddish brown, paler below ; legs and iris brown. 

 Culmen 0*4, wing 3'4, tail 2'4, tarsus 0'6 inch. The female differs in being 

 paler and duller in colour, the head and breast-band are striped with 

 black, and the throat marked with small brown specks. Like all the 

 Buntings, in the winter-dress the colours are obscured by the fulvous 

 margins to the feathers. 



