In, the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



211 



Porton and Grately, associating with an enormous flock of Bram- 

 bliugs. He tried to get near them several times, but without 

 success, and at last they left the district in safety. One of these 

 birds was killed some years ago at Brixton Deverell 5 and passed 

 through King's hands. And a few years back one was shot at Mere 

 by a Mr. S. Doddington, as Mr. Baker informs me. Hart also says 

 they occur occasionally at Christen urch, but they are by no means 

 commonly met with there. 



Plectrophanes Lapponica. " Lapland Bunting." This extremely 

 rare species of Bunting I mention inasmuch as I saw a specimen in 

 Hart's Museum, on November 13th, 18 78, which he informed me 

 had been killed in the neighbourhood many years back, and had 

 belonged to the Hector of Studland, who had had a good collection 

 of local birds. It, with some others, belonged now to a Mr. Pike, 

 for whom he was going to re-stuff it, as well as an Ivory Gull, 

 which had also been killed somewhere in the bay. It is an exceed- 

 ingly rare visitant to us, and therefore I think it worth while to 

 record this specimen as having occurred in the Christchurch district. 



Emberiza Miliaria. " The Lark or Corn Bunting*." Quite com- 

 mon amongst us, and may be seen and heard with its peculiar note, 

 half twitter and half chatter, on almost every hedge- row dividing 

 our cornfields, from which it will flutter with legs at first tucked up 

 and then depending, to settle on some bent, or corn-stalk, in the 

 middle of the field. Some little time since I surprised a Kestrel on 

 an apple tree in the garden, and observing that it had dropped some 

 prey, I went to look, and found it was a fine Corn Bunting, with 

 which it was going to diversify its usual diet of frog or mouse. To 

 a casual observer this bird may seem very like a Sky Lark at a short 

 distance, but he will be always able to distinguish it at once by its 

 habit of settling on the hedge, or some stalks of corn or grass, not 

 far off from him. 



Emberiza Citrinella. " The Yellow Hammer." One of the most 

 'beautiful of our common birds. In fact some cocks — and they differ 

 greatly in brightness — will match, or eclipse, any Canary in its 

 depth of golden beauty. In Cornwall it goes by the name of 

 " Gladdie," though what the derivation may be of the term, I know 



