5510 Birds. 



is closed ; upper tail-coverts chestnut and light brown, with the shafts 

 dark brown or nearly black ; one outer tail-feather on each side white ; 

 outer web of the next edged with the same, the remainder dark brown, 

 edged with light, except the two centre ones, which are dark brown ; 

 centres with light chestnut-brown; outsides lightest at the tips, and 

 appear only as extended coverts ; all the under surface of the body 

 white, slightly spotted on the throat and breast with wood-brown, in- 

 clining to chestnut on the breast ; feathers on the flanks white with 

 brown centres, forming longitudinal streaks ; the feathers on the legs 

 brownish white ; first and second quill-feathers equal and the longest. 

 Bill thicker, and the ridge of the upper mandible more curved than in 

 the true larks ; hind claw quite straight, except the white point, which 

 is slightly bent ; in front and rear of the eye is white ; feathers on the 

 head capable of being erected as a crest." I have a specimen in my 

 possession which is somewhat darker in colour, the top of the head 

 being quite a decided chestnut. I never observed or heard of this 

 species again : on my return to England, Mr. Gould kindly made this 

 bird out for me. 



I was told that the calendra lark bred in the country, and I ob- 

 served it numerous on the plains to the north of Sebastopol, while 

 riding to the Alma, at the end of May, when it was in pairs : I several 

 times observed a hollow in the sandy earth (from which the birds rose) 

 but no eggs, which may have been only basking-places. 



EmberizincB. 



The family of buntings, which stands between the larks and finches, 

 and, to a certain extent, partake of the characters of both, is a nume- 

 rous and well-defined collection of species, which, although so com- 

 mon in many parts of the world, are by casual observers confounded 

 with the finches or sparrows. It is often the beautiful yellowhammer, 

 in his subdued winter plumage, that is seen hopping about the farm- 

 yards of England, in company with the sparrow, when he is driven by 

 snow to the habitations of man for his support ; yet how few would say 

 that he is the most gaudily-plumaged bird of Britain at other seasons ? 

 It was in this state of plumage that the yellQwhammer {Emberiza 

 citrinella) was seen in the Crimea, my first meeting with it being at the 

 end of December ; but I was uncertain as to the species, on account of 

 the very slight descriptions usually given of the winter plumage of land 

 birds which inhabit Britain also during summer: it continued with us 

 through January. Specimens were obtained by Dr. William Carte in 

 March ; and I observed either it or the ortolan bunting {Emberiza 



