227 



Professor Liljeborg published in 1852 the accompanying observations, which we transcribe 

 from his paper in ' Naumannia ' : — 



" Observed at Kargopol and Archangel, here and there very abundant. The old male, 

 described by Pallas and Temminck, is certainly more beautiful than all its congeners ; the 

 female, however, is not so richly coloured. The latter is, by the way, much harder to find, 

 partly because it keeps hidden in the dense brushwood, whence it now and again utters a call- 

 note something resembling that of a Robin [Sylvia rubecula), partly because it does not betray 

 its whereabouts by its song. 



" In the stomachs of those I shot I found remains of insects. At the end of July the young 

 were fledged. They frequented open marshy meadows which were overgrown with brushwood, 

 chiefly willows. In some places before I reached the Dwina, they were not rare, as for instance 

 at one place on the Onega river. Their short but pleasing and melodious song is uttered from 

 the top of a tree or shrub. Generally they were not shy. During migration they are said to 

 occur at Moscow." 



Mr. Meves, who has lately travelled and collected in North Russia, has kindly sent us the 

 following note : — 



"I found this lovely Bunting near Wosnesenskoi, on the south-western portion of Lake 

 Onega, therefore far to the west of where it has before been recorded from. Here a few pair 

 frequented a very swampy place overgrown with willows, Iris germanica, &c. Its loud but 

 pleasing song was generally uttered as it was sitting in some exposed place, and reminded me of 

 that of the Ortolan, as well as the Reed-Bunting. Later on I observed it at Wuitegra, Kargopol, 

 along the river Onega, near Archangel, and several other places, often numerous, and always in 

 swampy meadows or marshes overgrown with birches and willows. Although I shot a female on 

 the 24th of June, in which was an egg almost ready for exclusion, I did not succeed in finding a nest 

 before the 17th of July, which contained four half-grown young. It was placed on the ground 

 near some small bushes, was rather neatly constructed of grass stems, which in the interior were 

 somewhat finer, and was lined with a few horsehairs. It measured in diameter, outside, about 

 2f inches, and inside 2 inches. The young, which could not fly, tried to hide in the grass, whilst 

 the parent birds flew close round me, uttering their anxious call-note, zitt, zitt." 



The nest is described by Naumann from specimens procured by Henke on the 16th of June, 

 as follows : — 



" The position of the nest is, as with most Buntings, on the ground, or not high from it, in 

 grass or brush work. The foundation is of dry grasses, leaves, or small roots, &c, and lined with 

 a few hairs and feathers. The eggs, from five to six in number, are 10 to 10-g- lines long, and 

 7 to 1\ broad." 



The eggs of this Bunting vary to a great extent, and some of the varieties are very beautiful. 

 We have before us a large series from Dresser's collection, obtained from Darasun, in Dauria, 

 Irkutsk, and Archangel, and a number belonging to our friend M. Jules Verreaux, also collected 

 in Dauria by Messrs. Dybowski and Parrex — together about fifty specimens, scarcely any two of 

 which agree in markings. The general type appears to resemble those of the Reed-Bunting ; but 

 the ground-colour is tinged with greenish, and the washings are not so bold and large ; some 

 varieties are pale greenish grey, slightly clouded with a darker colour, and with only one or two 



