230 



instead of black, dark brown, marked with buff, and tbe stripe over the eye and the patch on the nape 

 smaller, the bay collar being narrower. 



Adult Male in winter (Yedo, Japan). Feathers on the upper parts broadly margined with buff, so as to hide 

 the rich nuptial tint, the black on the head being nearly hidden ; the streak on the eye and the nuchal 

 patch buffy white ; the bay band across the breast and the streaks on the flanks obscured by buff. 



Young Female (Turkey, October) . Resembles the young Reed-Bunting, but is readily distinguishable by 

 the more rufous tone of plumage, by the bay on the breast, flanks, and rump being just visible; the 

 superciliary stripe and nuchal patch are visible, but are deep buff in colour ; and there is also a dark buff 

 stripe through the centre of the crown. 



Nestling (Ural, 13th June). Upper parts as in the young bird above described, but rather more clearly 

 marked with blackish brown, the rump deeper bay ; the inner secondaries broadly margined with warm 

 rufous buff ; underparts white, delicately marked with elongated black spots, the band across the breast 

 rufous buff. This bird has the tail quite short, and was probably taken out of the nest. 



North-eastern Europe and Northern Asia is the home of the present species ; and it is only as a 

 rare straggler that it visits any other part of Europe. It has, however, on one occasion been met 

 with as far west as Great Britain, and is therefore included in our British list. The specimen in 

 question was, as recorded by Mr. Gould (Ibis, 1869, p. 128), caught near Brighton on the 23rd 

 October, 1867, and was shown alive to Mr. G. Dawson Rowley, and is now in the collection of 

 Mr. Monk, of Lewes. 



On the continent of Europe it has been met with here and there, but only as a straggler. 

 Mr. Collett informs me that there is no authentic instance of its occurrence in Norway ; and 

 though Schrader stated that it had been seen on the Varanger fjord, yet, like many of this 

 gentleman's statements, it has not been confirmed by any subsequent observer, and there is every 

 reason to treat it with doubt. It has been recorded from Sweden, and occurs now regularly in 

 Finland, and would thus appear, like several other Asiatic species, to be gradually extending its 

 range westward. According to Professor Sundevall a pair were shot by Mr. B. Fries on the 20th 

 of May, 1821, in the yard of the post-station at Haparanda; a young bird was shot by Mr. J. 

 Wahlberg on the 6th September, 1835, at Langsjon, about three or four Swedish miles from the 

 town of Lulea ; and Nilsson says that Dr. Sahlberg obtained it previous to 1835. Von Wright 

 says (Finl. Fogl. i. p. 208) that his brother Julius shot one at Haminanlaks on the 10th September, 

 1848, and that Mr. Arthur Nordmann obtained an old male in East Finland in 1856. In a letter 

 received from Professor Malmgren, of Helsingfors, in 1872, this gentleman writes to me as 

 follows: — "This Bunting is now thoroughly naturalized near Kuopio and Kajana, in lat. 

 63°-64° N., and of late years has been met with there annually during the breeding-season. 

 This year (1872) nests and eggs were sent to the University Museum at Helsingfors from 

 Sotkamo, near Kajana (64° N, lat.), by Mr. A. G. Holmerus." In the north of Russia it is by 

 no means uncommon ; and I have from time to time received many specimens from near Arch- 

 angel, where it is reported to breed regularly ; but I never received its eggs until this season. 

 Mr. Piottuch, who has for several seasons collected for me at Archangel, to whom I wrote for 

 information respecting this bird, answered last season as follows : — " I do not know very much 



