ELACK-TIIROATED BUNTING. 
243 
half-grown tree, and there chirruping for half 
hour at a time. In travelling through different 
of New York and Pennsylvania in spring and 
^linmer, wherever I came to level fields of deep grass, 
^ have constantly heard these birds around me. In 
^*igust they become mute ; and soon after, that is, 
*®'Vards the beirinuing of September, leave u.? alto- 
gether. 
The black-throated bunting is si.x inches and a half in 
eagth ; the upper part of the head is of a dusky greenish 
bellow ; neck, dark ash ; breast, inside sboulclcrs of the 
J'?ng, line over the eye, and at the lower angle of the 
yellow ; chin, and space between the bill and eye, 
J'hite ; throat, covered with a broad, oblong, somewhat 
®«art-shaped patch of black, bordered on each side 
'’'tth white; back, rump, and tail, ferruginous, the 
streaked with black ; wings, deep dusky, edged 
'tith a light clay colour; lesser coverts and whole 
^''ouldor of the wing, bright bay ; belly and vent, dull 
Ij'l'ite; bill, light blue, dusky above, strong and power- 
for breaking seeds ; legs and feet, brown ; iris of 
pe eye, hazel. The female differs from the male in 
^ving little or no black on the breast, nor streak of 
^•^llow over the eye ; beneath the eye she has a dusky 
Jf^eak, running in the direction of the jaw. In all 
'^ose I opened, the stomach was filled with various 
^•la, gravel, eggs of insects, and sometimes a slimy 
^''d of earth or clay. 
This bird has been figured by Latham, Pennant, and 
*?yeral others. The former speaks of a bird which he 
'^'nks is either the same, or nearly resembling it, that 
''®sides in summer in the country about Hudson’s Bay, 
is often seen associating in flights with the geese ; * 
habit, however, makes me suspect that it must be 
^different species ; for while with us here the black- 
^'■oated bunting is never gregarious; but is almost 
j ''■“ys seen singly, or in pairs, or at most, the indivi- 
'tals of one family together. 
‘ Latham, Synopsis, Supplement, p. 
158 . 
