BUNTING. 61 



Its natural notes are few, but remarkably soft, and delivered so low as 

 often to escape the attention of a common observer ; the call notes are 

 equally simple but more audible. When caged it becomes very docile, 

 and may be taught a variety of tunes, for which reason, as well as for 

 its beauty, it is frequently deprived of liberty.* 



BUMBLE. — A name for the Bittern. 



BUMPY COSS. — A name for the Bittern. 



BUNTING (Emberiza miliaria, Linn^us.) 



*Emberiza miliaria, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 308.3 Faun. Suec. p. 228. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 



1. p. 402. sp. 12 Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 868. sp. 3 Emberiza alba, Raii, Syn. p. 



93. A. 1 Will. p. 195. t. 40 — Cynchramus, iJriss. 3. p. 292. 10 Le Proyer, 



Buff. Ois. 4. p. 355. t. 16 lb. pi. Enl. 233 Bruant Proyer, Temm. Man. 



d'Orn. 1. p. 306 Der Grauammer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 262. — Meyer, 



Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 180.— Frisch, Vog. t. 6. f. 2. B._ Bunting, Br. Zool. 



1. No. 118 Arct. Zcol. 2. p. 366. B Albin, 2. t. 50 Will. (Ang.) p. 



267. t. 40 Lath. Syn. 3. p. 171 Mont. Orn. Diet Lewin's Br. Birds, 2. 



t. 74.- -Wale. Syn. 2. t. 213 Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 11 Bewick's Br. Birds, 



1. p. t. 141 Low's Faun. Oread, p. 60 Shaw's Zool. 9. p. 360 Selby, pi. 



52. fig. 1. p. 239. 



Provincial. — Corn Bunting. Bunting Lark. Ebb.* 

 The weight of this species is nearly two ounces ; length seven 

 inches and a half. Bill brown ; irides dark hazel ; head and upper 

 parts light brown, inclining to olive ; the under parts yellowish 

 white, with a dusky stroke down the shaft of each feather, except 

 on the belly, which is quite plain ; quill-feathers dusky, with lighter 

 edges ; tail somewhat forked and dusky ; the legs are of a dull light 

 yellow. 



Male and female alike. 



The Common Bunting seems to delight in champaign countries 

 abounding with corn, and is rarely found in uncultivated parts, or grass 

 fields, distant from arable land. In the winter these birds become 

 gregarious, and sometimes visit the farmers' yards. "*I witnessed this 

 morning," says Mr. Knapp, " a rick of barley, entirely stripped of its 

 thatching, which this Bunting had elfected by seizing the end of the 

 straw, and deliberately drawing it out to search for any grain that might 

 yet remain. The sparrow and other birds will burrow in the stack, 

 and pilfer the corn, but the deliberate operation of unroofing the 

 edifice appears to be peculiar to the Bunting."* When it sings (if it 

 can be called a song) it generally assumes the loftiest branches of a 

 bush, or some low tree ; or even perched on the top of a dock it cheers 

 its patient incubating mate with a screaming inharmonious note * (termed 

 expressively by Mr. Low, a skirl.) * The nest is placed on the ground, 

 formed externally of straw, lined with fibrous roots or dry grass, some- 

 times finished with long hairs. The eggs are generally four in number, 



