^ 352 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
pure white ; below the black gorget another one of chestnut ; remainder of 
lower plumage fawn-colour_, striped with black on the flanks ; outer tail- 
feathers white on the outer web^ and the inner web with a long diagonal 
patch of white ; the next pair dark brown, with a patch of white on the 
inner web at the tip ; the other tail-feathers are dark brown, edged on the 
outer web with russet. 
Male in winter. The grey of the head is much diminished, and gives 
place in many specimens to olive-brown ; the ear-coverts are much less 
rufous ; the black pectoral gorget is much reduced in extent, and the 
chestnut gorget almost entirely disappears ; the other parts remain the 
same as in the summer. 
Female in summer. The same as the male in winter. 
The female in winter loses all traces of grey on the head, but does not 
otherwise differ from the female in summer. 
The young bird has the head rufous with black centres ; the reddish 
brown of the adult is replaced by russet ; the ear-coverts are brown mixed 
with rufous, and both, gorgets are absent, the moustachial stripes merely 
extending along the sides of the neck. 
Bill dark fleshy brown, the lower mandible paler ; iris brown ; feet and 
claws pinkish. 
Length 6'5 inches, tail 2*7, wing 2'8, tarsus "8, bill from gape '6. The 
female appears to be of much the same size as the male. 
The Grey-headed Bunting is a tolerably common winter visitor to Pegu. 
I observed it chiefly in the plains on either side of the Pegu Canal. 
Mr. Hume states that it has also been found at Tonghoo and between that 
town and Thayetmyo. Mr. Davison found it rare in Tenasserim as far 
south as Thatone. Being a migrant it will probably be found in every part 
of British Burmah, except perhaps the most southerly part of Tenasserim. 
In winter it is found in the Indo-Burmese countries. South China, and 
in Northern and Central India. In the summer some birds remain in the 
North-west Himalayas and breed there. Others retire to North China, 
Japan and Eastern Siberia. 
I observed the Grey-headed Bunting only in the grassy plains near Pegu 
on the ground, especially in places where the grass had been burnt. It was 
generally feeding on the grass- seeds which had fallen to the ground. Unlike 
E. aureola it did not appear to frequent the rice-fields. 
According to Mr. Hume the nest is generally placed at the foot of a tuft 
of grass or low bush, or under some large stone. It is a shallow cup made 
of dry grasses and lined with a little hair. The eggs, generally four in 
number, are greenish grey marked with reddish brown. 
