488 EMBERIZID &. 
common and indigenous to Ireland. North of London it 
is also found in most, if not all, the counties as far as the 
Tweed. In Scotland it is common in the usual localities ; 
has been observed in the Hebrides, and was seen by Mr. 
Selby upon the margins of all the lochs, and in the 
swampy districts of Sutherlandshire; but according to 
Dr. Fleming this bird does not visit Orkney or Shetland. 
It is only a summer visitor to Denmark, Norway, and 
Sweden, appearing in April and retirmg in September ; 
it is found also from Russia to Italy, being very abundant 
in Holland, as might be expected. 
It is found at Corfu, Sicily, Malta, and Crete, cnhabie 
ing the marshes in summer and gardens or fields in winter. 
The beak is dusky brown above, paler beneath ; irides 
hazel ; head, cheeks, and ear-coverts, velvet black, bound- 
ed by a collar of white, which descends to the breast ; 
from the angle of the gape a white streak passes backwards 
and falls inte the white collar; back and wing-coverts 
black, each feather having a broad margin of rufous or 
bay ; tertials black on the inner web, red on the outer, 
and margined with white; upper tail-coverts grey ; the 
two outer tail-feathers on each side white, with a dusky 
brown patch at the base and tip; the central pair dark 
brown, margined with red, the others blackish brown ; the 
tail slightly forked; chin and throat black, this colour 
ending in a point directed downwards; sides of the chest 
before each wing, breast, belly, and under tail-coverts, 
white, clouded and streaked on the sides and flanks with 
brown; legs, toes, and claws, brown. At the autumn 
moult in each year the new feathers of the head and throat 
are tipped with brown, which tips falling off in the follow- 
ing spring, leave these parts pure black. 
The whole length of the male bird six inches. From 
