YELLOW BUNTING. 243 



and snow, buntings not only betake themselves to the roads for 

 subsistence, but may be seen at such times in the less-frequented 

 streets and stable-yards of the town of Belfast. The plumage of 

 this species is very liable to be varied with white or cream-colour, 

 and when with the latter, some which I have seen were of a very 

 rich and handsome appearance. Mr. B,. Chute mentions his having 

 obtained them in Kerry as yellow as the canary finch. On 

 opening buntings killed in winter, I have generally found them 

 filled with grain; sometimes with the seeds of weeds, in addition 

 to which were fragments of stone. They possess a very strong 

 gizzard. 



YELLOW BUNTING. 



Yellow Ammer. Yellow Yorlin. 



Emberiza citrinetta, Linn. 



Is common in suitable localities throughout the island, 

 and is resident. 



This handsome bird, differing from the last-noticed species in 

 being a constant resident about the farm, and precincts of the rural 

 dwelling, is very well known in Ireland. Its monotonous, and to 

 my ear, mournful song, interpreted in Scotland as resembling the 

 words, " de'il, de'il, de'il, take ye, that is, the cruel nesters," f 

 is heard in mild weather throughout the greater part of the 

 year. It sometimes breeds very late. The nest, from being placed 

 in an open hedge or bare grassy ditch-bank, is often easily dis- 

 covered. A person well versed in the sites chosen by birds for 

 their nests, informs me, that he has most frequently found that of 

 the yellow bunting in furze. A note is before me of one situated 

 like a lark's on the ground in the middle of a field. It was lined 

 as usual with hair, and contained the full number of eggs on the 

 25th of April. In a friend's garden near Belfast, a pair of these 

 birds built their nest at the edge of a gravel-walk, and brought out 

 four young, three of which were soon destroyed. In consequence 



* Macgillivray, B." B. vol. i. p. 449. 

 R 2 



