sight;” and Mr. W. H. Simpson, in his ‘ Ornithological Notes from Mesolonghi and Southern ^tolia,’ that 
“ the gardens and vineyards were full of this most beautiful bird.” 
Lord Lilford informs us in ‘ The Ibis ’ for 1860, p. 139, that the Black-headed Bunting “ arrives in Corfu 
and Epirus in great numbers in April, remains to breed, and disappears in September, has an agreeable 
song, and is known in Corfu by the name of ‘ Ortolano.’ ” 
'JLe Rev. H. B. Tristram, in his ‘ Notes on the Ornithology of Palestine,’ states that it is there a very 
common and conspicuous bird in spring and summer, and says : — “ On reference to my note-book, I find I 
did not observe it before the first week in May ; and its plumage is too brilliant for it easily to escape notice. 
Its note is varied and powerful, more like a Linnet’s than a Bunting’s ; and it resorts to scrub, forests, and 
cultivated ground, affecting particularly olive-yards and, in the north, apricot-orchards, where it sits pouring 
forth its song from the topmost twig of some tall tree. The nest is placed either on the ground, in a tuft, 
or in a low bush, sometimes in the clump at the root of a shrub ; it is more compact than that of most 
Buntings, lined with fibres of roots and hair ; and the eggs, often six in number, are of a pale blue, 
powdered all over their surface, sometimes thickly, at others sparsely, with brown spots.” 
Mr. Jeidon tells us that “In India the Black-headed Bunting is only found in the North-western 
Piovinces, wdiere it is most abundant in the Deccan, and thence extends into the Upper Provinces of 
Hindustan. It usually makes its appearance in the Deccan about the end of November, in immense flocks, 
which are very destructive to the crops of jowaree and other grains. It leaves early in March, and certainly 
does not breed in any part of India.” 
Very considerable difference occurs in the appearance of the sexes — the female being destitute of the rich 
black colouring of the head, and of the chestnut hue of the hack. 
The male in full hreeding-plumage has the head, cheeks, and ear-coverts rich deep black, all the upper 
surface and a patch on each side of the chest deep rust-red, the vvhole of the under surface and the sides 
of the neck brig'ht yellow ; wings reddish brown, each feather conspicuously margined with grey, except the 
primaries, on which it only occurs as a fine line on the extreme edge of the feathers ; tail similar, but paler, 
and the edging not so decided ; bill bluish grey ; feet yellowish brown. 
The general plumage of the female above is brown, each feather margined with pale hrown ; the under 
surface washed with yellow, which is deepest on the under tail-coverts. 
The figures are of the natural size ; the lower one, or female, was taken from the specimen killed at 
Brighton. 
