THE YELLOW BUNTING, OR YELLOW AMMEE. 



479 



olive with a perceptible blue wash, the chin and abdomen are pure white, the breast is 

 ashen grey streaked liberally with buff, and the under tail-coverts are buff streaked with 

 black. All the wing-coverts are tipped with narrow white bands, and the wings are ratjier 

 richly variegated with yellow. The total length of this bird is rather more than six 

 inches. 



The Buntings are known by their sharp 

 conical bills, with the edges of the upper 

 mandible rounded and slightly turned in- 

 wards, and the knob on the palate. They 

 are common in most parts of the world, 

 are gregarious during the winter months, 

 and in some cases become so fat upon the 

 autumn grain that they are considered great 

 dainties. 



One of the most familiar of all these 

 birds is the Yellow Bunting, or Yellow 

 Ammee as it is often called. 



This lively bird frequents our fields and 

 hedgerows, and is remarkable for a curious 

 mixture of wariness and curiosity, the latter 

 feeling impelling it to observe a traveller 

 with great attention, and the former to keep 

 out of reach of any missile. So, in walking 

 along a country lane, the passenger is often 

 preceded by one or more of these birds, 

 which always keeps about seventy or eighty 

 yards in advance, and flutters in and out of 

 the hedges or trees with a peculiar and un- 

 mistakeable flirt of the wings and tail. It 

 possesses but little song, and is consequently 

 of no value as a cage-bird, remaining scath- 

 less while many a poor goldfinch, lark, or 

 thrush falls a victim to the birdcatcher, 

 and passes the remainder of its life cooped 

 in the narrow precincts of a cage. 



The song — if it may so be called — of the 

 bird is set in the minor key, and has a 

 pecidiar intonation, which is almost articu- 

 late, and is variously rendered in different 

 parts of England. For example, among the 

 southern counties it is well represented by 



the words, " A little bit of bread and no cheese ! " the last syllable but one being strongly 

 accented. In Scotland it assumes a sense quite in accordance with the character of its 

 surroundings, and is supposed to say, " De'il, de'il, de'il take ye." So, in revenge for the 

 sentiment by which the bird is supposed to be actuated, the rustics persecute the bright 

 little creature most shamefully, killing the parents, breaking the eggs, and destroying the 

 nests, whenever they can find an opportunity. Mr. Thompson says, that to his ears the 

 cry of the Yellow Bunting is of a mournful character, in which opinion I cannot at all agree 

 with him, having many a time been cheered by the odd little tones that were poured 

 forth close to my ear. 



The nest of the Yellow Bunting is generally placed upon or very close to the earth, 

 and the best place to seek for the structure is the bottom of a hedge where the grass 

 has been allowed to grow freely, and the ground has been well drained by the ditch. In 

 rustic parlance, a " rough gripe " is the place wherein to look for the Yellow Ammer's 

 nest. It is a neatly built edifice, composed chiefly of grasses, and lined with hair. The 



SHARP-TAILED Vl^CB-.—Ammodromus caudamtVA. 



