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strictly ; for I have been assured by the inhabitants of these parts that it is often seen to the 

 south of this town, and no one has ever seen one on the north side. I myself have had oppor- 

 tunities of verifying this peculiar fact when passing several times through those parts; every 

 time I have seen males singing close to the town, and never once have I seen one on the other 

 side or further on in the province of Augustow." Pallas says that it is not found in Siberia, and 

 does not like cold regions at all : it winters in the Crimea. It was not observed to the east of 

 the Ural by Sabanaeff. Mr. Keith Abbott obtained a specimen near Trebizond ; and on that 

 occasion Mr. Gould remarked that the Common Bunting had never been obtained before so 

 far to the eastward ; but we have now in our collection an example from Turkestan, procured 

 from M. Dode. De Filippi found it everywhere in Persia on the cultivated plains. Canon 

 Tristram writes that in Palestine " E. miliaria is as common as the Skylark in England 

 on all the corn-plains throughout the year." Captain Shelley has lent us three specimens pro- 

 cured by himself in Egypt, where, says Dr. Brehm, " it is a common winter visitant, extending as 

 far as the frontier of Nubia ; it frequents the clover-fields and is shy and difficult of approach." 

 Dr. von Heuglin, in his 'Birds of North-eastern Africa,' gives the following account: — "The 

 Common Bunting comes every winter into Egypt and Arabia Petrsea, being observed more rarely 

 in Nubia. It is generally found in small, scattered families, which disport themselves shyly in 

 the meadows and clover-fields." 



As its local name of Corn-Bunting implies, this species affects the flat corn-growing districts, 

 but at the same time prefers places near corn-fields and meadows where bushes and trees are 

 scattered about. Naumann remarks that in Germany it often frequents the neighbourhood of 

 marshes, and especially places where Brassica napus grows ; and he adds that wherever there are 

 fields in which this plant occurs, the Common Bunting is sure to be met with. During the 

 breeding-season the bird is seen only in pairs ; but so soon as the young are fully grown, or at all 

 events early in the autumn, they congregate together, forming small flocks. They then range 

 over the country, visiting the stubble-fields as long as they find sufficient food there ; but when 

 the winter sets in, large numbers are to be observed about the farm-buildings, roads, and stack- 

 yards, in company with Yellow Buntings, Sparrows, and other small birds ; and whenever they 

 can get at wheat-stacks they help themselves freely to the grain. When observed in the fields, 

 they move about on the ground and along the furrows, much resembling a Lark, to which bird 

 they closely assimilate in plumage ; they also generally roost on the ground in a furrow, amongst 

 the stubble, or, according to Naumann, in reed-meadows ; and sometimes large numbers come 

 from a distance to pass the night in some favourite resort of this kind, arriving immediately after 

 sunset, chase each other about for some time, and finally settle down quietly to rest. Owing to 

 this habit of roosting on the ground, many are taken in nets with Larks, and with these are 

 brought to market. During the breeding-season the male is restless and quarrelsome, continually 

 bickering with other small birds. He generally sits on some elevated perch, such as the top 

 of a tree, bush, or stake, and thence utters his peculiar song, which is not unlike that of the 

 Common Yellow Bunting, but is scarcely as musical, nor is it as loud. Naumann compares it to 

 the noise made by a stocking-weaver when he puts his loom in motion, resembling the words, 

 zick, zick, zick, ter ill ill ill ill ill, the latter portion being a sort of chirr that cannot well be 

 expressed in letters. During the pairing-season they use a soft call-note, zik, zik ; but the usual 



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