REED BUNTING TT 
EMBERIZA SCHGNICLUS, Linn. REED 
BUNTING. 
About 1883 the late Mr. Jeffcott stated that many years 
before he had on several occasions shot this species. 
During my residence in Mr. Jeffcott’s neighbourhood, that 
of Castletown, I have never met with it. Small numbers, 
however, regularly inhabit the ditches of the Ballaugh 
Curragh, and in the same wet and low-lying neighbourhood 
My. J. C. Crellin has found the nest. I also found a nest 
there in 1902, and have frequently seen a few birds, but, as 
above said, the species does not seem to be abundant. 
In winter the bird is more widely distributed. On 26th 
December 1900 I saw one in a stackyard in Jurby, and 
about a year later another on a roadside fence in Andreas. 
In March 1902 I received from Mr T. Fargher a specimen 
which had been killed in Lonan from a flock frequenting 
the neighbourhood of some buildings in that parish, and in 
April 1903 observed a bird in the young larch plantation 
on South Barrule. Writing of the Douglas district, Mr. 
Leach says that during the six years ending 1903 he saw 
it twice only. 
The Reed Bunting can only be considered a scarce and 
local bird in Man, which indeed offers few localities 
suitable for its summer residence. 
This species breeds in every county in Ireland, ‘a truly 
characteristic bird of the wilds.’ In Galloway it is common 
(described as ‘conspicuous’ in Kirkcudbrightshire), and 
also in north-western England, though in Lancashire 
irregularly distributed. It is common in west Carnarvon 
and locally in Anglesea. It nests, not commonly perhaps, 
in Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, and has occurred in 
Shetland. It is a very generally distributed British bird. 
