THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



187 



back bright chestnut brown, some of the feathers having a dark stripe down 

 the centre ; lesser wing-coverts dusky, with lighter points ; greater wing- 

 coverts, and tertials, blackish with chestnut edges ; primaries blackish with 

 narrow yellow edges; upper tail-coverts pale olive j tail blackish, middle 

 feathers tinted with olive-red ; two outside pairs being partly white on the 

 inner web. On the throat is a triangular black patch, with a bright lemon 

 crescent-shaped patch below it ; across the breast is a broad olive band, which 

 joins the same colour behind the head ; below this is a chestnut band, broad 

 at each side and narrow in the middle ; under parts dull lemon streaked with 

 olive at the sides. 



In Winter the colours are less bright, and the black feathers of the throat 

 margined with light colour. 



The Female is without the black patch on the throat, and the yellow 

 crescent below it. The head, back, and under parts are also streaked with 

 black. 



" Many people find a difficulty in distinguishing the female of this bird 

 from that of the Yellowhammer. In the Yellowhammer the base of the 

 feathers of the crown of the head are always yellow, in this bird they never 

 are ; the feathers being olive-green, more or less striped with black. The 

 rump feathers are not chestnut coloured, like those in the Yellowham- 

 mer."— F.B. 



Immature Birds are similar to the females, but are entirely without 

 yellow on any part. 



Varieties. — The only variety I have seen, is one from Mr. Bond's 

 collection, which is nearly all white. 



Note. — The song is said to resemble that of the Yellowhammer, but is 

 quicker and cut short at the end. The male sits on the top of some tall 

 tree, and pours forth his song. That of the female is simply a call-note. 



Flight. — Similar to that of the Yellowhammer. 



Migration. — This species is resident in England throughout the year. 



Food. — The food of this bird is similar to that of the Yellowhammer, 

 consisting of seeds, berries, grain, and insects. The young it is said, are fed 

 principally upon grasshoppers. 



In Confinement, young birds have been reared successfully on a paste 

 made of the berries of the woody nightshade {Solatium dulcamara), wheat 

 flour, and fine gravel. 



Habitat* — The Cirl Bunting was only distinguished as a British bird in 

 1800, by Col. Montague. Since then it has been found to inhabit nearly all 

 southern counties of England, and to breed in many of them. It is, however, 



