2G GRAMIXI VOILE. 



a hard outline. That collar passes almost immediately into 

 pale yellow on the breast, gradually into brownish orange on 

 the shoulders, and brown on the back ; and the pale yellow 

 on the under part passes into brownish orange towards the 

 Tent. The margins of the feathers on the back and wings 

 are orange brown, and the centres blackish brown. The 

 quills a shade darker. The tail has the two middle feathers 

 blackish with brown margins, and two at each side with 

 the one half white, and the other half and all the remaining 

 feathers of the tail nearly black. The rump and upper tail 

 coverts are lighter brown than the back, and have a tinge of 

 grey. The bill is dusk, the irides hazel, and the feet brown 

 with a reddish tinge. 



Such is the male in the breeding plumage. In winter the 

 black on the head becomes mottled by the margins of the 

 feathers turning rusty brown. The female and the young 

 have the head yellowish brown, with black shafts to the 

 feathers ; the under parts streaked with dull brown, the 

 breast white, and a streak of pale reddish brown over the 

 eye. 



The reed buntings are rather energetic in the air, and 

 active in many of their motions, those of the tail especially, 

 which are more rapid than even in the wagtails. The tail is 

 considerably produced and spread, and forked at the ex- 

 tremity. The habit which the bird has of clinging to the 

 flexible culms of the aquatic plants, with free use of its bill, 

 so that it may bruise the husks and pick out the seeds, ren- 

 ders the powerful and ready motion of the tail, as a means of 

 balancing, absolutely necessary. The security and even the 

 grace with which it rides, when the stems are laid almost 

 level with the water, now on one side and then on another, 

 are well worthy of notice. It not only adheres as if it were 

 part of the plant, but it contrives to maintain nearly the 



