BRITISH SONG-BIRDS. 229 



Of the Nest, Eggs, 8fc, 



The nest of this bird is most frequently situated 

 near swampy places, though occasionally it may 

 be fixed in a low bush of willow, or even furze, a 

 foot or two from the ground, at a short distance 

 from any marsh or fen. The nest, however, is 

 generally placed amongst clumps or bunches of 

 long grass, willow-roots, tufts of rushes, reeds, 

 &c. It is a flimsy structure, composed of bent 

 and withered grass, and slightly lined with a few 

 horse hairs. It contains four or five eggs of a 

 dingy bluish-white, mottled, and streaked with 

 umber-brown, inclining to blackish-purple, in re- 

 semblance somewhat between those of the yellow 

 bunting and those of the chaffinch. 



The black-headed bunting is somewhat less tha& 

 the yellow hammer; length about six inches; 

 bill, bluish-grey; eyes, umber-brown or hazel; 

 the head, round the eyes, throat, and part of the 

 breast, velvet-black. From the bill on each side 

 to near the back part of the neck, runs a band of 

 yellowish-white ; neck, back, wings, and tail, 

 yellowish-brown, each feather streaked down the 



