356 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH 
purplish brown, marked witli yellow ; the chin and throat are deep yellow_, 
like the breast and abdomen; the pectoral band becomes obscure,, owing to 
the feathers being fringed with yellow. The other parts do not change in 
winter J except that the greater wing- coverts are edged with pale rufous 
instead of white. 
The/ma/e at all seasons is the same. The head is chestnut -brown, with 
dark-brown streaks ; the nape and back of the neck olive-brown, with 
indistinct brown streaks and the centres of the feathers tinged with chest- 
nut; the back and scapulars olive-brown, with broad distinct dark- brown 
streaks ; the rump pale chestnut, edged with grey ; the upper tail-coverts 
brown, centred darker ; the lesser wing-coverts brown ; the median ones 
brown, very broadly tipped with white ; the greater coverts and all the 
quills brown, edged on the outer webs with pale rufous-brown ; the tail as 
in the male; a broad supercilium reaching to the nape yellowish white; 
sides of the head mixed brown and yellowish white; chin and throat 
whitish; breast, sides of neck and abdomen bright yellow, tinged with 
brown across the breast, which is also faintly streaked with brown ; flanks 
faint yellow, streaked with brown ; vent and under tail-coverts pale yellow, 
the latter indistinctly streaked. 
The young bird is. very similar to the female, but has no chestnut on the 
head and rump and the whole breast is boldly streaked with brown. 
Iris rich brown ; upper mandible dark brown, lower fleshy brown ; feet 
and claws pinkish brown. 
Length 6*2 inches, tail 2'4, wing 3, tarsus '85, bill from gape '55. The 
female is rather smaller. 
The Yellow-breasted Bunting is a common winter visitor to the whole of 
Burmah. It arrives in October and leaves in May, in which month many 
of the males are in full breeding-plumage. 
This Bunting has a very wide range. In winter it is found in China, 
Cochin China, Siam and the Malay peninsula. Westwards it extends 
through the Indo-Burmese countries into the South-eastern Himalayas 
and is even found in Southern Europe. In summer it occurs throughout 
Northern Asia and Europe from Russia to Kamtschatka. 
This bird may easily be recognized when flying by the white patch on 
the wing. On first arriving in Burmah, it is noticed chiefly in the larger 
plains of grass ; but as soon as the rice begins to ripen, it comes down in 
immense flocks and feeds on this grain. Their number is incredible, and 
the damage they cause to the cultivator must be very serious. When the 
crops have been reaped, they continue picking up grain in the stubble ; 
and even after this has been burnt they steadily search the ground, and 
the numerous cracks caused by the sun, for the half-burnt grains of rice. 
Towards March this supply fails them, and they then adjourn to the neigh- 
bourhood of villages, where they pick up what food they can find. 
