ORTOLAN BUNTING. 505 
prefer light sandy soils, and build variably on the ground 
in fields of corn, at least, I have never met with a nest in 
any other situation; those I found were placed im a slight 
hollow, were something similar to the nest of the Sky Lark, 
but rather more compact ; the interior lined with fine grass 
and a few hairs ; the eggs are from four to six in number,” 
bluish white, speckled and spotted with black. ‘‘ These 
birds retire southward early, few being seen after the end 
of August. They are at that time taken in great numbers 
in nets with decoy birds, and fattened for the table.” Mr. 
Gould says that when thus caught they are kept in a dark 
room, and there fed with plenty of oats and millet seed, 
upon which they quickly fatten ; and Mr. David Booth, in 
his Analytical Dictionary of the English Language, which 
abounds with interesting references to Natural History, 
says, “these birds are fed up till they become lumps of fat 
of three ounces in weight, some of which are potted, or 
otherwise preserved, and exported to other countries.” 
The natural food of the Ortolan Bunting is grain and 
seeds when ripened, with insects during the early part of 
the season. 
It is a common bird in the southern countries of Europe 
from May to August, is seen at Gibraltar every spring and 
autumn, is common at Tangiers, and winters in North Africa. 
It is found in Sicily, Malta, and Crete. It was observed at 
Smyrna by Mr. H. E. Strickland in April, and is included 
by Colonel Sykes in his Catalogue of the Birds of the 
Dukhun. 
The adult male in summer has the beak reddish brown, 
the palatal knob small; the irides brown; head and 
cheeks greenish grey; the feathers on the back rich 
reddish brown, but almost black in the centre ; primaries 
dusky black, narrowly edged with rufous brown ; tertials 
