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Winter plumage. As in most Buntings, the winter plumage is duller and more obscure than the summer 

 dress, owing to the appearance of very broad fulvous edgings to the feathers of the upper surface of the 

 body. Thus the chestnut colour of the back is completely obscured, and appears fulvous brown. All 

 the feathers of the rest of the body are equally dull, and on the breast the chestnut band across the 

 chest and the stripes on the flanks are scarcely discernible. 



The Yellow-breasted Bunting is found in summer over the entire northern portion of the 

 Palsearctic Begion from Northern Eussia to Kamschatka. In winter the bulk of the migrating 

 birds seem to visit China; but at this season it is also found sparingly in the Himalayas and 

 Nepal, more plentifully in the North-west Provinces of India; and thence its westward range 

 extends to Southern Europe, where, however, it is very rare, only occurring in winter. 



It has been obtained in Heligoland by Gatke, the time of year not being stated; but it 

 doubtless only visits this locality on its return to its summer haunts. It has not yet been met 

 with in Finland, but doubtless will occur there. In the north of Eussia it breeds, as will be seen 

 by the excellent accounts given below by our contributors. Dr. E. Eversmann observes that it is 

 " common on the flooded meadows of the Kazan Government, and but rare in the damp grassy 

 valleys of the southern slope of the Ural. It does not arrive from its migration until late, not 

 before May." All across Siberia it is a common bird, breeding plentifully. 



Commencing with its winter habitat, we find that in China Mr. Swinhoe has obtained it at 

 most of his collecting-points. During his recent visit to Hainan, he says, " on the 29th of March, 

 at Haosuy (West Hainan), we got a fine male of this species ;" and in Formosa he records it as a 

 " winter visitant, not common." Near Amoy he " met with it in flocks in winter, feeding on the 

 ripening corn;" and in his essay on the Ornithology of Hong-Kong, Macao, and Canton, he 

 says it is more or less common, and, he thinks, resident. In his list of birds found between 

 Takao and Peking in Northern China, he observes that it was common " about the reedy herbage 

 of the Yun-leang Canal." Near the latter city Pere David says it is abundant at both seasons of 

 migration. 



According to Dr. Jerdon it " straggles sparingly in the winter into Nepal and the South- 

 eastern Himalayas, but is more abundant in Assam, Tippera, and Burma. It avoids Bengal and 

 the plains of India." Mr. Blanford procured it at Ava ; and Mr. Gould has recorded it from 

 Tavoy, in the Tenasserim provinces, whence it was sent by Captain Briggs ; this is, we believe, 

 the most extended range of the species in winter towards the south-east. Captain Marshall 

 informs us that he found this bird in the North-western Provinces of India, near Lahore. 



Dr. Tristram says : — " Emberiza aureola I once saw in Palestine, and do not think I could 

 be mistaken, as I watched the bird for some time, but had no gun with me. An Italian gentle- 

 man also showed me a specimen he had shot north of the Lebanon." 



Count Salvadori writes to us : — " I only know one instance of this bird having been taken 

 in Italy ; it was caught near Genoa, and lived two years in captivity." According to Jaubert and 

 Barthelemy-Lapommeraye it is found in small numbers in Central France nearly every year, 

 arriving in the autumn in winter dress. 



Dr. Eadde's notes are as follows : — 



" I found the Willow-Bunting throughout the country I traversed. It is even found in 

 the Sajan Alps to an altitude of 6000 feet; and here it chooses, as its favourite resort for 



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