370 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



visitants to the plains ; and the remainder are almost confined to 

 the Himalayas and adjacent districts, one or two species only 

 occurring in Assam, Burmah, and the countries to the East, and 

 none aparently visiting the Malayan isles. They have been sub- 

 divided into several groups, which however; are not very strongly 

 characterized, except in the case of certain American Buntings. 

 They approximate some of the Fringillina ; and the Snow Buntings, 

 by their long hind claw, approach the Larks ; but these are by 

 Blyth referred to the Fringillinm. The Indian Buntings may be 

 referred to three groups : the true Buntings ; the yellow Corn- 

 Buntings, or Gundams of India ; and the crested Buntings. 



1st. True Buntings. 



Gen. Emberiza. 



Bill of varied strength, and the mandibles more or less unequal, 

 usually somewhat lengthened ; wings moderate or rather long, 

 with the 1st quill a little shorter than the second and third, which 

 are longest ; tail of moderate length ; the outermost feathers more 

 or less marked with white. 



The first on the list are the most typical Buntings, to which 

 the yellow ammer of England belongs. They are the restricted 

 Emberiza of some. 



712. Emberiza pithy ornis, Pallas. 



Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 180 — Hoksf., Cat, 728 — E. 

 albida, Blyth, J. A. S. XVIII., and Cat. 705 — E. leucocephala 

 and E. dalmatica, Gmelly. 



The white-crowned Bunting. 



Descr. — Top of the head white in the male, greyish in the female; 

 upper parts rufescent brown, with central dark-brown streaks, 

 nearly wanting on the back of the neck ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 cinnamon-rufous, edged with pale brownish ; wings and tail dusky 

 brown, edged yellowish, and the two outer tail-feathers with a 

 patch of white on the inner web, largest on the outer feathers ; 

 beneath, the chin, throat, and a moustachial line, are dark rufous 

 with pale edgings, and there is a triangular patch of white on the 

 middle of the throat ; ear-coverts pale brown ; breast and sides 



