REED BUNTING. 59 



With regard to Scotland, however, this bird does not appear 

 to be a permanent resident there, having been observed by 

 a gentleman of East Lothian to leave that part of the king- 

 dom generally in October, and to return in March, a straggler 

 rarely remaining throughout the winter season. 



The entire length of the Reed Bunting is six inches. The 

 wing measures, from the carpus to the tip, three inches two 

 lines ; the first quill-feather is a line and a half shorter than 

 the second, third, and fourth, which are nearly equal and the 

 longest in the wing. The beak measures four lines and is 

 very sharp pointed. 



The adult male of this species is a beautiful little creature, 

 and the various colours of its plumage are disposed as follows. 

 The whole crown of the head as far as the nape is black, also 

 the ear-coverts, forming an entire cap ; this is bounded by a 

 white line, which, commencing at the base of the beak, ex- 

 tends beneath the ear-coverts and occupies the nape ; the 

 chin and upper part of the breast are black, the rest of the 

 under parts bluish-white, with dark shaft streaks along the 

 sides of the breast and flanks. The back and scapulars are 

 blackish-brown, with broad rufous edges to the feathers ; the 

 lower part of the back grey with dark shaft streaks ; the 

 upper tail-coverts greyish-white. The tertials and greater 

 coverts of the wings are dusky, broadly bordered with brown- 

 ish-rust colour ; the quill-feathers are also dusky, narrowly 

 bordered with rust. The two middle feathers of the tail are 

 dusky, bordered with rufous-brown, the three next on each 

 side nearly black ; the two outer feathers have large wedge- 

 shaped white marks, which are visible when the tail is spread ; 

 the basal part is dusky. 



After the autumnal moult, the black and white feathers upon 

 the head, nape, and sides of the breast are broadly edged 

 with rusty-brown, and so much are they obscured by these, 

 that neither the black head nor the white collar is distinct. 



