64 



E3IBERIZID.E. 



edges of the feathers tinged with olive, and their centres and 

 shafts dusky ; the lower part of the back is olive-brown, the 

 upper tail-coverts yellow, tinged with chesnut ; the smaller 

 wing-coverts are olive-green, the greater coverts and tertials 

 dusky, bordered with chesnut-brown ; the greater quills 

 dusky, edged with olive-green. The under surface of the 

 wings and the lower parts of the body are yellow, tinged with 

 chesnut upon the breast and flanks ; the latter streaked with 

 dusky. The two middle feathers of the tail are chesnut- 

 brown, the rest black, edged with yellow ; the two outer fea- 

 thers on each side have an oblique bar of white, extending 

 half way from the tip, the external edge of the outer entirely 

 white. The legs are brownish flesh colour ; the beak bluish 

 lead colour above, paler beneath ; the iris hazel. 



The female, according to Montagu, is rather less than the 

 male, and he thus describes her plumage : " The upper part 

 of the head olivaceous-brown, streaked with dusky ; over the 

 eye a dull yellow streak, passing down the side of the head ; 

 cheeks brown, on which is a yellowish spot ; on each side the 

 lower mandible is a broken streak of dusky, passing down- 

 wards ; chin and throat dull yellow, the latter streaked with 

 dusky ; the back and sides of the neck and breast oliva- 

 ceous-brown, with dusky streaks ; belly and sides pale yellow, 

 with large dusky streaks on the latter ; the upper part of the 

 body and wings like the other sex, but the colours less 

 bright." 



The nestlings, before moulting, are light brown on the 

 upper parts of the body, speckled with black ; the under 

 parts are pale yellow, streaked with dusky ; as the birds ad- 

 vance in age, the olive tint on the breast appears and in- 

 creases gradually in depth of colour. 



The egg marked in the plate 102 is that of the Cirl 

 Bunting. 



