141 



BUNTING. 



COMMON BUNTING. CORN BUNTING. BUNTING LARK. 



PLATE LXXVI. 

 Emheriza miliaria, . Pennant. Montagu. Bewick. 



NiDiFiCATiON commences towards the end of April. 



The nest, which is begun and finished in the course 

 of this month, is usually placed on the ground, or only 

 slightly raised above it by coarse herbage, and fre- 

 quently on a bank, sometimes in a bush, or under a 

 hedge, among the grass, is composed of dry straws 

 and grasses, lined with smaller grasses, and small fibrous 

 roots, moss, and hair, rather neatly, but not finely, 

 compacted. It is somewhat large and thick, but shallow 

 inside. 



The eggs, generally four, or rarely five or six, in 

 number, and of an obtuse oval shape, are of a whitish 

 colour, with a slight tinge of grey or red, sometimes 

 pale purple red, streaked and spotted in a very ir- 

 regular manner with dark purple brown and pale 

 greyish purple. They differ a good deal in size, shape, 

 and colour. In some the ground-colour is nearly white. 

 One variety is of a dull grey, the larger end marked 

 with pale reddish brown and some dark marks, a few 

 of which are scattered over the surface. 



Another is yellowish brown, with a few darker marks 

 of the same. 



