EMBERIZA 361 



the ground, and is built of fine grass-bents, lined with finer 

 bents and a few feathers, and is but slightly constructed. The 

 eggs, usually 5 in number, are pale greenish finely spotted 

 with pale brick-red, without any scratchy lines, and measure 

 about 079 by 0'60. The spots are sometimes scattered evenly 

 over the surface of the shell and at others collected at the 

 larger end. 



520. SUBSP. EMBERIZA ARCUATA. 



Emberiza arcuata, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 494 (1888) ; Gates, 

 Faun. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 253. 



ad. Differs from E. fucata in having the upper parts rather more 

 rufous, the median and lesser wing-coverts chestnut, the scapulars chestnut, 

 but slightly marked with black ; the chestnut band on the breast very 

 broad, and the sides of the body chestnut. Culmen 0'45, wing 2'8, tail 2'55, 

 tarsus 0*7-9 inch. 



Hal}. The Himalayas from Kashmir to Assam ; resident. 



This appears to me after comparing a series of specimens to 

 be a fairly good subspecies. In habits it does not appear to 

 differ from E. fucata. It breeds in the Himalayas at from 6000 

 to 8000 feet altitude, in May, June, and July, constructing a 

 saucer-shaped nest of dry grass, placed on the ground under 

 shelter of a bush or stone, and deposits 4 eggs resembling those 

 of E. fucata, being pale greenish grey speckled all over with 

 dull reddish or purplish brown, and measure about 0'83 by 0'6. 



521. JAPANESE GREY BUNTING. 

 EMBERIZA VARIABILIS. 



Eniberiza variaUlis, Temm. PI. col. iii. pi. 583, fig. 2 (1835) ; id. and 

 Schlegel, Faun. Jap.. Aves, pi. 56 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 609 ; 

 (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 566. 



ad. (Japan). Upper parts dull sooty slate-grey, the back, scapulars 

 and wing-coverts broadly striped, or blotched with black T some of these 

 feathers margined with warm brown, the inner secondaries more broadly 

 thus margined ; quills and tail blackish grey, with narrow brownish mar- 

 gins, the tail without any white ; under parts slate-grey, paler than the 

 upper parts, the middle of the*abdomen whitish slate-grey ; bill blackish 

 brown, fleshy at the base below , legs brownish flesh ; iris brown. Cul- 

 men 0'55. wing 3'3, tail 2*75, tarsus 0*8 inch. The female has the crown 

 and sides of the head dark, reddish brown, with an indistinct central grey 

 line, and a dull white supercilium and line on the sides of the throat ; 



