350 ORTOLAN BUNTING. 



feathers brown, darkest in the middle ; some of 

 them with grey, and others with rufous edges: 

 outer tail-feathers edged and tipped with white ; 

 the next tipped with white on the inner edge ; the 

 rest of the tail deep brown with rufous margins : 

 legs yellowish : female has the head and neck of 

 an ash-colour, with each feather marked with 

 small blackish lines down the shaft. This bird 

 often occurs entirely white, but sometimes with 

 only the tail white : it is also found all tinged with 

 straw-colour, except the edges of the wings and 

 quill-feathers, which are white ; and again with 

 the head and neck greenish, and the rest of the 

 body blackish. 



This bird builds its nest in a low hedge, or on 

 the ground; it is composed of dry bents, mixed 

 with leaves, and is very carelessly constructed: 

 the female lays four or five greyish eggs, and ge- 

 nerally has two broods a year : it sings very pret- 

 tily, and is often confined for that purpose. These 

 birds are found over great part of Europe, but have 

 not been taken in this country : in their passage 

 from one part to the other, they are taken in great 

 quantities for the use of the table, after being fat- 

 tened for the purpose ; which is very easily done, 

 by putting them in a dark room with plenty of 

 oats and millet, which will make them so very fat, 

 as to kill them if the feeders did not : they are said 

 to be one of the most exquisite morsels known : 

 they then weigh about three ounces j and will 

 often get fat by frequenting oat fields, but they 

 are not so fine as when fattened artificially. . 



