Reed-Blntino. INSESSORES. EMBERIZA. 291 



chocolate- red, and very similar to those of the Chaffinch. 

 Some authors have again confounded the two species in an- 

 other respect, gifting the Reed-Bunting with a sweet and va- 

 ried song, often poured forth during the still hour of night, 

 thus robbing our little warbler of the praise justly due to its 

 unwearied exertions. 



The song (if it may be so called) of the present bird, is 

 even more monotonous and uninteresting than that of the 

 Yellow Hammer or the Common Bunting, and is uttered, in 

 the breeding-season, during the greater part of the day, from 

 the very top of some bush, a little elevated above the sur- 

 rounding herbage. 



The food of this species consists of the seeds of reeds and Food, 

 other aquatic plants, which is augmented, during the period 

 of propagation, by insects and their larva\ It associates, in 

 severe winters, wdth the Yellow Hammer, and other granivo- 

 rous small birds, and frequently with them approaches the 

 farm-yard, as to a sure place of supply. Like the above- 

 mentioned bird, it does not begin to breed until the spring is 

 pretty far advanced. 



The Reed-Bunting is found to extend from the warm pro- 

 vinces of Italy as far northward as Sweden and Russia. Ac- 

 cording to Temminck, it is particularly abvmdant in Hol- 

 land. 



Plate 52. Fig. 5. Male bird, natural size. 



Bill black. Crown of the head, occiput, cheeks, throat. General 

 and gorget ink-black. On the sides of the neck, a little ^^^^l^^^' 

 below the angle of the bill, is a white spot. Collar 

 round the neck, sides of the breast, belly, and under 

 tail-coverts white ; on the sides and flanks a few Ions' 

 blackish-brown streaks. Back and wings clear pale 

 orange-brown, with the centre of each feather brownish- 

 black. Quills hair-brown, margined with orange-brown. 

 Lower back and rump bluish-grey, with a few black 

 spots, and tinged in parts with yellowisli-brown. Tail 



T 2 



