144 WILD LIFE IN CHINA. 



little or nothing for the mere presence of man, taking 

 as little notice as the British hedge-sparrow. So with 

 sharp eyes, or lacking these with a good binocular, it is 

 quite easy to watch for a considerable time whilst these 

 interesting little birds search about on the ground, round 

 tree-trunks, and amongst the grass for their food. China is 

 rich in members of the Emberiza tribe. In the north there 

 may be seen at the proper season the Lapland bunting, 

 Emberiza lapponica, a prettily marked species which sings 

 its little song whilst in the air. The reed bunting has borrowed 

 the appearance of the sparrow to such an extent as to be 

 very often called the reed sparrow. Well known in almost 

 all parts of China at the proper season is the j-ellow-breasted 

 bunting, E. aureola. No less common is the meadow bunting. 

 I have never met with our yellow bunting or yellow-hammer 

 in China. The male bird which I saw the other day was 

 only about as yellow as the female yellow-hammer in 

 England. The most lovely of all the buntings one may see, if 

 watchful and lucky, in the journey across Siberia. That is 

 the only place where it has been my good fortune to get a 

 glimpse of it as the train passed by. A very dainty little 

 creature is E. nivalis, the snow bunting, probably found on 

 Chinese soil only in the north, though it seems to visit the 

 south of Europe during the winter season. Instead of the 

 golden colouring of the yellow-hammer, it has white for the 

 head, neck, and under covering, the back, wings, and tail 

 only being provided with a darker tint. Last but not least, 

 the nearest relative in China to the celebrated ortolan, loved 

 of epicures, is a variety of our meadow bunting, E. cia. 

 There is nothing particularly striking in the appearance of 

 the ortolan, his arrangement of browns and yellows making 

 him out as a typical bunting. It is his misfortune that he 

 should, when caught and fattened for the table, be such good 

 eating. 



■ rf >> >^>^ > ' " 



