CIRL BUNTING. 157 



can be little doubt that it is often overlooked. Its habits otherwise very 

 closely resemble those of its congener the Yellow Hammer. It chiefly 

 frequents the tops of tall trees, and there it usually utters its short and 

 unobtrusive song. Montagu states that this bird pairs in April, and con- 

 sequently about that period its song is at its best. It generally trills 

 its simple song whilst concealed amongst the thick leaves. Sometimes it 

 may be noticed on a bare spray, but it usually takes refuge in the cover 

 should it be too closely observed. The song of the Cirl Bunting is only a 

 few notes, a monotonous trill, something like the song of the Lesser Eed- 

 pole, or still more like that of the Lesser Whitethroat. It resembles that 

 of the Yellow Hammer, but is never ended with the long-drawn note whicTi 

 marks the song of that bird. It appears to sing almost as much as its 

 commoner ally, and is often heard warbling its monotonous strain in the 

 early part of September. The call-note is similar to that of the Yellow 

 Hammer, but is not so shrill or prolonged, and sounds like a monotonous 

 and plaintive chea-che. 



The eggs of the Cirl Bunting are laid early in May, and the nesting- 

 site is usually in a low bush or shrub or amongst briars and brambles. 

 Montagu states that it is generally built in furze bushes. At other 

 times the bird will select a site similar to that chosen by the Yellow 

 * Hammer, almost invariably near some trees, where the male bird serenades 

 his sitting mate below. It varies in the height it is placed from the 

 ground; some nests are as much as six or seven feet, others only one 

 or two feet, whilst, more rarely, it is placed on the ground itself. The 

 nest is generally composed of dry grasses, roots, a little moss and twitch, 

 and is lined with hair and finer roots. A nest of this bird in my collec- 

 tion is somewhat loosely put together, and made externally of various 

 plant-stems, blades of grass, roots, and quantities of dead leaves. It is 

 lined with one or two scraps of moss, a few pieces of fine grass, and a great 

 quantity of short hair. It measures about four inches in outside diameter, 

 and is about one and a half inch deep inside. Some nests of this bird 

 contain no hair, and are lined with rootlets only, whilst others are 

 almost exclusively made of moss and coarse herbage. The eggs of the 

 Cirl Bunting are four or five in number, and do not vary very much; 

 they are generally bluish or greenish white in ground-colour, blotched, 

 spotted, and streaked with very dark brown, almost black. The streaks 

 are usually very bold and blotchy, and most numerous on the large end of 

 the egg. The underlying spots are generally small and indistinct, and violetr 

 grey in colour. Some eggs have the ground-colour dull white, and the 

 markings are more of a reddish brown. They vary from -92 to '8 inch in 

 length, and from "7 to -6 inch in breadth. The markings on the eggs of the 

 Cirl-Bunting are much darker (almost black) than those on the eggs of the 

 Yellow Hammer, and in shape are much rounder and blunter. Other 



