226 CLASS AVES. 



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whole year, and congregate in winter in large flocks, when 

 they are frequently caught in numbers, and sold under 

 the name of bunting larks, ebbs, or corn bunting. They 

 nestle on or near the ground, have four dirty-white eggs, 

 spotted and streaked with brown ; and the young have a 

 reddish tinge. 



During incubation, the male is generally found perched on 

 a branch not far distant from his mate, constantly uttering a 

 tremulous kind of shriek, several times repeated, with short 

 intervals. Their unavailing anxiety to protect their eggs and 

 yoving, frequently leads to the spot where they are deposited, 

 which the simple birds are so unwilling to forsake, and, in 

 their anxiety, so easily betray. 



The Ortolan Bunting (E. Hortulana) is never kno^vn to 

 visit this country. This bird, whose flesh is very liighly 

 esteemed, and which is consequently much sought after, 

 appears to be confined to the southern parts of Europe, where 

 it is found at all seasons. All the individuals of the species 

 are not, however, confined to one locality the whole year ; 

 for a few of them quit the south in the spring, and visit for a 

 time the intermediate latitudes of Europe. Even these, 

 however, do not breed in all the countries they visit, as their 

 nests are said to be found only in Germany, and Lorraine and 

 Burgundy, in France. It is commonly near the stem of the 

 vines that they build their ill-constructed nest, in which the 

 female deposits four or five eggs. In Lorraine, they are 

 said to bviild in the com fields. 



When these birds first arrive in France, they are far from 

 fat ; but human ingenuity soon makes them fit for the table : 

 they are fatted by inclosing a number of them in a dark 

 chamber, in which is placed a lanthorn, surrounded plenti- 

 fully with oats and millet. The darkness seems to have the 

 effect of confining the whole attention of the birds to their 

 favourite food, thus placed within view ; and it is said they 

 will thus die of suffbcation from their own fat, if left entirely 



