BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. 489 
the carpal joint to the end of the wing three inches : the 
first four quill-feathers nearly equal in length, but the se- 
cond rather the longest ; the fifth shorter than the first. 
The female is rather smaller than the male: the head 
and ear-coverts reddish brown, varied with darker brown, 
over and behind the ear-coverts, and from thence passing 
forwards to the base of the under mandible, a pale yel- 
lowish brown streak; both sets of wing-coverts and the 
tertials broadly edged with rufous ; on the chin upon each 
side a descending streak of dark brown; under surface of 
the body more clouded with brown than in the males ; 
legs and toes pale brown. 
Young birds resemble the female. Young males obtain 
a black head in the spring following their first winter. 
The vignette below represents the breast bones of the 
Common Bunting and the Black-headed Bunting. 
