cretzschmaer's bunting. 41 



served in the North African journey of that distinguished 

 naturalist, is found in the south of Europe, and is a 

 regular summer visitant into Greece, appearing there, 

 according to Count Muhle, early in April, and leaving 

 in August. Its principal home is in Syria, Nubia, 

 and Egypt. Temminck suggests that it would probably 

 be found more common in the south of Europe, but 

 that its similarity to E. cia causes it to be frequently 

 mistaken for that bird. Its capture near Vienna, in 

 1827, is also recorded by this naturalist, and M. 

 Roux states that it is found in Provence, in company 

 with E. cia. It has also been killed in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Marseilles by M. Busonnier, as recorded 

 by Dcgland. 



Count Muhle says that it is the most common 

 Bunting in Greece. "After its arrival in April it is 

 found in flocks among the wild and rocky hills of the 

 country, in company with S. stapazina, Surnia noctua, 

 and Turdus cyanus. It is seldom found in fields or 

 among bushes. It hops among the rocks with great 

 i ""ility, and its song is much more refined than that of 

 the Ortolan. This bird (the Ortolan) first appears 

 plentifully when E. ccesia has been gone some time, 

 and is never found in the same localities, preferring 

 bushy fields." 



"E. ccesia builds its nest, which is like that of the 

 Yellowhammer, but smaller, behind blocks of stone in 

 a sage plant, off the ground. It lays four to six 

 eggs, which are grey blue, sprinkled with liver-coloured 

 spots. It feeds its young with ground beetles and the 

 caterpillars which it finds among the flowers of the 

 sage." 



Of this bird in Palestine Mr. Tristram remarks, (Ibis, 

 vol. i, p. 34): — "One of the most common birds of the 



