THE CORN-BUNTING. 103 
states that it breeds in Corfu, frequenting brushwood on the hill sides, and has 
an agreeable song.” According to Seebohm this song consists of only ‘‘two or 
three slight variations of a not very loud nor yet very melodious note, rapidly 
repeated, with a slight pause in the middle. The ordinary call-note is a loud chit, 
chit, and the call-note of one sex to the other a more plaintive and longer con- 
tinued /sce-a.” Howard Saunders says :—‘“‘ The call-note of the male is a vibrating 
monotonous chzririri.”’ 
As a captive, little pleasure can be derived from keeping the Black-headed 
Bunting in a cage; doubtless its feeding is simple enough, millet and canary 
forming its staple diet, varied in the summer by a few mealworms or cockroaches; 
when wild it is said to eat grasshoppers; it also eats a little fruit. A caged 
example is chiefly interesting for the show-bench; consequently the unfortunate 
specimen captured in Fifeshire seems to have had a busy life at the hands of his 
owners. In an aviary this species would doubtless be more interesting, but it would 
want watching at first, unless associated with birds as powerful as itself; for some 
of the Buntings are dangerously sportive towards smaller and weaker birds. 
Family—FRINGILLIDA. Subfamily—E MBE RIZINA:. 
THE CorN-BUNTING. 
Emberiza militaria, LINN. 
T would be useless to attempt to improve upon Seebohm’s account of the 
distribution of this species :—‘‘ Beyond the British Islands its range extends 
throughout Central and Southern Europe. It is only found in the extreme south 
of Norway and Sweden; and east of the Baltic its northern limit appears to be 
Riga. It is doubtful if it has ever occurred as far north as Moscow or the Ural 
Mountains; but it is very locally distributed in Southern Russia, where it is a 
