ORTOLAN— LAPLAND BUNTING 223 



ing, or Common Bunting of the Old World, is quite 

 sombrely clad. This bird bears a striking resemblance 

 to the Skylark, from which, however, it may easily be 

 distinguished by the absence of the conspicuously 

 long claw to the hind-toe. See Plate 15, Fig. 86. 



The Yellow Ammer, or Yellow Bunting, receives 

 its name from the bright yellow of the head, neck and 

 lower parts. Like the preceding species, it is a com- 

 mon European resident, but has no representative in 

 this country. The name here is frequently errone- 

 ously applied to the Flicker, or Golden-winged 

 Woodpecker, which has no affiliation with the Bunt- 

 ings. The bird which most nearly resembles the true 

 Yellowhammer (a form in which the name often 

 appears) is the Bobolink in its fall plumage. The 

 Yellowhammer is also known as the Writing-lark, 

 because of the curious scribblings, as of a pen, over 

 its eggs; though this character is shared by the eggs 

 of the Buntings in general. See Plate 15, Fig. 85. 



Perhaps the most celebrated of all the European 

 Buntings is the Ortolan, because of the fame which it 

 has unfortunately acquired as a table delicacy. Com- 

 mon throughout the greater part of Europe, this bird, 

 as soon as the breeding season is over, returns south- 

 wards in vast flocks. On both of its migratory jour- 

 neys, to and from Europe, it is beset by bird-catchers, 

 who make enormous hauls. The victims are kept alive 

 in dark places, and fed until they become very fat, 

 when they are killed to supply the table. The natural 

 food of this bird consists of insects and seeds in about 

 equal quantities. The Ortolan much resembles its 

 relative, the Yellow Bunting, but the head is greyish 



