THE COMMON BUNTING. 



Emberiza miliaria. 



35 



HE Bunting belongs to a very 

 interesting group of the Pas- 

 serine birds, one of the principal 

 characteristics of the family 

 being the bill, which is very 

 strong and conical, the upper 

 mandible having a strong knob 

 on the palate, commonly called 

 a tooth, and the sides of the 

 mandibles bending inwards. 

 The bird is about seven-and-a- 

 half inches in length, and of a 

 somewhat thick, bulky appear- 

 ance. The plumage of the 

 Bunting is varied and pleasing. 

 The iris is dark brown; over 

 the eye is a faint mark of pale 

 yellowish -grey, which is con- 

 tinued in a curve down the 

 cheek ; the head, crown, and 

 back of the neck are a light 

 yellowish- brown, inclining to 

 olive, and the centre of each 

 feather is streaked with dark 



