﻿BIEDS. 
  

  

  101 
  

  

  summer, 
  very 
  large 
  flocks 
  sometimes 
  appear 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  

   season." 
  (Gray.) 
  

  

  The 
  Corn 
  Bunting 
  or 
  Common 
  Bunting 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  

   plentiful 
  birds 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  during 
  summer 
  in 
  all 
  cultivated 
  

   tracts 
  throughout 
  " 
  Dee." 
  Its 
  nest 
  is 
  usually 
  placed 
  upon 
  the 
  

   ground 
  among 
  standing 
  corn 
  or 
  long 
  grass, 
  and 
  its 
  favourite 
  

   perch 
  is 
  on 
  telegraph 
  wires, 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  dykes, 
  or 
  wooden 
  

   fences 
  along 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  public 
  highways. 
  There 
  its 
  

   presence 
  is 
  ever 
  made 
  known 
  by 
  its 
  strange 
  and 
  monotonous 
  

   cry 
  ; 
  and 
  from 
  such 
  positions 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  to 
  drop 
  in 
  heavy 
  

   flight 
  and 
  dangling 
  legs 
  to 
  alight 
  amongst 
  the 
  grass 
  or 
  corn 
  

   where 
  its 
  nest 
  is 
  situated. 
  In 
  autumn 
  it 
  collects 
  in 
  flocks 
  and 
  

   thus 
  it 
  continues 
  until 
  spring. 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  

   considerable 
  variation 
  of 
  colour 
  ; 
  cream 
  colour, 
  sometimes 
  

   with 
  a 
  few 
  brown 
  feathers 
  intermixed, 
  is 
  not 
  infrequent, 
  but 
  

   pure 
  white 
  is 
  more 
  uncommon. 
  On 
  December 
  29th, 
  1894, 
  I 
  

   had 
  a 
  cream-coloured 
  variety 
  whose 
  stomach 
  was 
  filled 
  with 
  

   cleanly 
  husked 
  oats. 
  

  

  Emberiza 
  citrinella, 
  Linn. 
  Yellow 
  Hammer. 
  "Yellow 
  Yite." 
  

   "Yellow 
  Yorling." 
  "Skite." 
  "Yellow 
  Yarlin." 
  

  

  This 
  pretty 
  bird 
  is 
  abundant 
  and 
  resident, 
  forming 
  

   considerable 
  flocks 
  in 
  winter, 
  and 
  betaking 
  themselves 
  in 
  

   spring 
  to 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  woods 
  and 
  whin 
  coverts, 
  where 
  

   the 
  nest 
  is 
  formed. 
  

  

  [Emberiza 
  cirlus, 
  Linn. 
  Cirl 
  Bunting. 
  

  

  In 
  Gray's 
  Birds 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  there 
  occurs 
  the 
  

   following 
  : 
  "A 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  Cirl 
  Bunting 
  was 
  shot 
  near 
  

   Edinburgh, 
  and 
  exhibited 
  by 
  Mr. 
  James 
  Wilson 
  at 
  a 
  meeting 
  

   of 
  that 
  society 
  (Wernerian), 
  held 
  on 
  3rd 
  February, 
  1816. 
  

   This 
  instance 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  having 
  been 
  found 
  so 
  far 
  north 
  in 
  

   Britain 
  remained 
  for 
  nearly 
  fifty 
  years 
  the 
  only 
  representative 
  

   for 
  Scotland 
  until 
  a 
  second 
  was 
  obtained 
  in 
  Aberdeenshire 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  Angus, 
  who 
  has 
  kindly 
  sent 
  me 
  the 
  following 
  communi- 
  

   cation 
  regarding 
  its 
  occurrence 
  : 
  ' 
  In 
  December, 
  1868, 
  a 
  friend 
  

   sent 
  me 
  some 
  small 
  birds 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  kindly 
  taken 
  the 
  

   trouble 
  to 
  kill 
  for 
  two 
  Kestrels 
  which 
  I 
  then 
  kept 
  alive 
  in 
  

   confinement. 
  He 
  had 
  procured 
  the 
  birds 
  while 
  Woodcock 
  

  

  