THE BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. IOI 
France, eastwards to North-western and Central India.” Howard Saunders says :— 
“In Greece, Turkey, the Danubian Provinces, Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Pales- 
tine, and Northern Persia, it is common from the end of April to autumn, after 
which it leaves for its winter quarters in North-western and Central India.” 
Gatke, speaking of it in Heligoland, observes :—‘‘I obtained the first example 
of this large and handsome Bunting on the 4th of June, 1845; it is an old male 
in which, singularly, the normal black markings of the head not only extend 
downwards along the sides of the neck, but the fore-neck also has a long black 
longitudinal patch. Since that time the species has occurred here about fifteen 
times, and has been killed in most of these cases.” 
When Seebohm published his History of British Birds, Vol. II, in 1884, only 
one example of this species had been obtained, it was shot by Mr. Robert Brazener, 
on Brighton racecourse, on the 3rd November, 1868. In 1888, Howard Saunders 
was able to add two occurrences of the Black-headed Bunting (Manual British 
Birds, p. 197) one recorded by the Rev. J. R. Ashworth (in the ‘ Zoologist” for 
1886, p. 73) as having been shot in Nottinghamshire; and the other as having 
been captured about November 5th, 1886, near Dunfermline, and exhibited at the 
Crystal Palace Show, February 12th to 17th, 1887, where it was recognised by the 
Rev. H. A. Macpherson. It was then purchased by Mr. J. C. Steele, of Beckenham, 
who exhibited it at the Palace every year up to 1891, taking a first prize up to 
1890. In 1891 it was recognised and labelled as ‘‘ Black-headed Bunting” by the 
late Mr. Jenner Weir at the West Kent Ornithological Show; but, knowing that 
the carelessness of some popular writers had prejudiced the public mind by con- 
founding this species with the Reed Bunting, Mr. Steele probably wished to avoid 
discussion, and therefore again entered it for the Palace Show of that year (February 
14th to 19th) as ‘‘ Bunting-Cock.”” The bird was then growing old, and was in 
poor plumage; therefore the judge passed it over: soon afterwards it died, was 
stuffed, and is still in Mr. Steele’s possession.* 
The adult male in the breeding season has the crown, lores, sides of face and 
ear-coverts black; the back and rump cinnamon-brown; wings and tail brown, the 
former with whity-brown margins to the coverts, and broad pale borders to the 
innermost secondaries; the outer pair of tail-feathers with a narrow white edge to 
the inner web; a collar at sides of neck and entire under surface bright golden 
yellow; beak greyish leaden; feet pale brown; iris hazel. The female is altogether 
duller—above sandy brown, with darker streaks; the rump slightly yellower, the 
wing-coverts and quills margined with buffish white; under surface sordid white, 
* A bird said to be this species was exhibited in 1896: unless miy memory deceives me, it was a Reed- 
Bunting. 
Vou. IL S 
