ORTOLAN BUNTING. 155 



The breeding-season of the Ortolan Bunting is in the second half of May, 

 when fresh eggs may be obtained. The nest is always placed on the 

 ground amongst herbage, generally in a slight bollow, and is formed 

 of dry grass and roots, lined with fine roots or hair. The eggs of the 

 Ortolan Bunting are from four to six in number. They vary from the 

 palest of bluish white to pale salmon-colour, spotted, streaked, and 

 blotched with rich purple-brown almost black, and with underlying spots 

 of pale violet. The ground-colour of some eggs is very pink. Many of 

 the spots are very large and round, and the streaks are generally short 

 and isolated. Most of the markings are on the large end of the egg, where 

 they form an irregular zone. The eggs vary in length from '88 to '75 

 inch, and in breadth from '67 to "SS inch. They vary considerably in 

 shape, some specimens being almost round, whilst others are considerably 

 elongated, and some are oval. The eggs of the Ortolan Bunting do not 

 resemble very closely those of any other British species. Perhaps they 

 approach most closely to those of the Reed-Bunting; but the ground- 

 colour is always clearer and paler, and the markings usually consist of 

 spots not streaks. 



The adult male Ortolan Bunting, immediately after the autumn moult, 

 has the general colour of the entire head, neck, and upper breast slate- 

 grey, strongly suffused with yellow. The chin, throat, and a moustachial 

 line, the lores and the feathers round the eye are yellow. The general 

 colour of the rest of the plumage, except the wings and tail, is dull chest- 

 nut, the feathers of the upper parts having dark brown centres, which 

 are most obscure on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the wings and 

 tail are brown, the two outside feathers of the latter on each side having 

 large patches of white extending nearly over the terminal half of the in- 

 side webs; there are two obscure bars across the wings formed by the 

 greater and median wing-coverts being tipped with pale chestnut. Bill 

 flesh-colour, in summer changing to reddish flesh-colour ; legs, feet, and 

 claws reddish brown ; irides dark brown. The breeding-plumage is 

 attained by casting the ends of the feathers, thus causing the yellow 

 almost to disappear from the slate-grey parts of the head and breast; the 

 chestnut on the lower breast becomes much deeper in colour from the 

 same cause. The female difiers from the male in having the colours 

 generally paler and not so rich, the head and nape being browner and 

 streaked with dark brown ; and the grey on the sides of the neck and on 

 the breast is replaced by brownish grey, streaked with dark brown ; the 

 yellow throat is also sparingly spotted with brown ; and the rest of the 

 underparts are much paler than in the male. Males of the year somewhat 

 resemble females in having dark shaft-lines to the feathers of the head. 

 Young in first plumage resemble the female, but are more spotted. 



