844 The Sparrow-like Birds 



deferring this duty until May. The nest, a rather slight structure of grasses, 

 fibrous roots, and a few twigs, and lined with horse-hair, is placed on or near 

 the ground among grass or herbage and the complement of eggs numbers from 

 four to six, these in color being dull white or pale yellowish, with blotches and 

 streaks of purplish brown. In summer the Corn Bunting feeds largely upon 

 insects, but in autumn and winter on grain and various seeds. 



The House Bunting (E. Sahara) of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis has the 

 upper parts rufous indistinctly striped with brown, and the under parts un- 

 striped rufous. It is a very tame and confiding species, frequenting the native 

 houses, often, according to Mr. Dresser, entering the rooms in search of food, 

 and picking up crumbs from the table. It feeds on insects, seeds, and any 

 scraps it can find about the native huts, and being protected by the Arabs, is said 

 to be even tamer than the English Robin. "It breeds in March and April, 

 and the nest, which is usually placed in a hole in a wall or on a rafter, is con- 

 structed of fine twigs or sticks and grass bents lined with hair, cotton, or wool." 

 The eggs, usually three in number, are white finely spotted with brownish. 



Black-headed Bunting. Quite closely resembling the Corn Bunting in 

 habits and general appearance is the handsome Black-headed Bunting (E. mel- 

 anocephala] of southeastern Europe, coming as far east as Italy, whence it ranges 

 eastward through Asia Minor and Palestine to Persia, sometimes straggling 

 to France and Great Britain. It has the forehead, crown, and nape deep black, 

 the back, rump, and scapulars orange-chestnut, and the whole lower surface 

 deep yellow with pale lilac margins to the feathers. It is found in cultivated 

 grounds and fields, feeding on insects and seeds during the summer and on seeds 

 and grain during the winter. Usually tame and approachable, the male is often 

 seen perched on a low bush or tree near the nest and uttering at frequent inter- 

 vals his low, simple, but quite sweet song. Lindmayer states that it is " peculiarly 

 partial to vineyards, where it builds on vines, pomegranates, thorns, or almond 

 trees," constructing a carefully made nest of straws lined with horse-hair. The 

 five eggs, the usual complement, are pale sea-green, scatteringly spotted with 

 dark brown, or sometimes entirely unspotted. 



Yellow Bunting ; Yellowhammer. Another common and well-known spe- 

 cies is the Yellow Bunting (E. citrinella), or Yellowhammer, as it is perhaps 

 more frequently called. It is a handsome little bird, a trifle over six inches in 

 length, with the head, neck, breast, and lower parts bright yellow, more or less 

 streaked with dusky, while the mantle is brown striped with darker brown; 

 the female has the yellow portions less bright and the lower parts darker streaked. 

 Its home is in central and northern Europe, extending eastward into Asia as 

 far as Turkestan. It is slimmer, more graceful, and of course more brightly 

 colored than the Corn Bunting, but it frequents much the same situations, in- 

 cluding also rough commons and waste lands. Here, says Mr. Hudson, "you 

 may hear his song at all times of the day, even during the sultriest hours; for 

 although the Yellowhammer remains with us (in England) throughout the year, 

 and is able to resist the colds of winter, he is a great lover of heat. The song 

 is very different from that of the Corn Bunting; it is composed of half a dozen 



