The Sea-side Fisch. BIRDS. The Reed Bunting. 
cliestnut; tlie belly is white. The length of ihe bird 
is six inches and a half. The nest is built on the 
ground under a tuft of grass ; it is composed of grass, 
lined with horsehair, and contains four or five eggs. 
THE SEA-SIDE FINCH {Ammodromus maritimus), 
another North American species, is found upon the 
low islands of the Atlantic coast of the States, running 
about upon the shore between tide-marks to pick up 
the minute marine animals and fragments of larger 
ones, which constitute its entire sustenance. Its flesh, 
as might be expected from this diet, has a fishy 
taste. The colour of this bird is brownish-olive, with 
the chin and belly white, and the breast ash colour 
streaked with buff. Its length is rather more than six 
inches. 
THE INDIGrO-BIKD {Spiza cyanea), is another migra- 
tory inhabitant of the United States. Its plumage is 
of a rich sky-blue colour, changing to bright green, 
with the wings and tail black. Its length is about five 
inches. Besides his beautiful plumage, the male Indigo- 
bird possesses an animated song, which he pours forth 
for several months during the spring and summer. 
His favourite haunts are gardens, cl over- fields, and the 
borders of woods, where he is fond of perching on the 
top of a high tree, and singing vigorously for half an 
hour together ; but his nest is usually built in a low 
bush, where it is attached to two twigs, one passing 
up each side. The nest is composed externally of flax, 
and lined with fine dry grass. The eggs are five in 
number, and of a pale-blue colour, with a purple 
blotch at the larger end. 
THE PAINTED BUNTING {Spiza ciris), also called, 
from the beauty of its plumage, the Nonpareil, is an 
inhabitant of the southern states of the North Ameri- 
can Union, where its gay dress, and the docilit}' of its 
manners, render it a great favourite. It is from five 
inches and a half to three quarters in length ; the 
male has the head and neck rich purple; the back 
yellow, tinged with green ; the wings dusky-red ; the 
rump and tail-coverts red ; the tail purplish-brown or 
green; and the whole lower surface vermilion-red. The 
female is smaller than her partner, greenish-olive 
above and yellow' below. The food of the Painted 
Bunting consists of seeds and insects, in search of 
which it frequents gardens, orchards, and rice-fields; 
its nest is generally built in a garden, often close to 
the house, composed of grass and lined with hair and 
fine roots. The male has an agreeable song. 
THE COMMON BUNTING {Ember iza miliaria).— 
The name of Buntings is given to a considerable group 
of Finches, which indicate an approach to the Larks 
in some of their characters ; they are distinguished by 
tbe presence of a peculiar knob in the palate, which is 
of service to the birds in breaking up the bard seeds 
constituting the greater portion of their nourishment. 
The Common Bunting of this country is abundant 
In most of our cultivated districts, where it frequents 
corn-fields, and may often be seen perched on the 
sjirays of the hedges, and uttering its somewhat harsh 
notes. Its nest is built at the bottom of the hedge 
under the protection of the brambles which usually 
flourish in such situations ; it is composed of straw, 
grass, and roots, and lined with hair. The eggs are 
Von. I, 46 
.Bfil 
four or five in number, and of a pale redilish or purplish 
colour, with purplish-brown streaks and spots. During 
the breeding season, the Buntings live in pairs, but in 
the autumn they become gregarious, and during the 
winter associate in considerable flocks, with which 
chaffinches and several other kinds of small birds are 
often mixed. /Phey frequently roost on the ground 
like the skylarks, and are caught with them in nets 
and brought to market for the table. The Bunting is 
a well-known bird in all parts of Europe. Its length 
is rather more than seven inches. It is of a pale- 
brown colour above, with longitudinal dark browui 
streaks ; the quill feathers of the w'ings and tail are 
dark-brow'n with pale edges ; and the lower surface is 
brownish-white, with numerous spots and lines of dark 
brown on the breast and flanks. 
THE REED BUNTING (Emheriza Schceniclns), an- 
other British species, is easily distinguished by the 
deep-black colour of its head, chin, and throat ; the 
feathers of the back are black, with reddish margins, 
and those of the lower surface white ; a white collar 
passes round the back of the neck, and unites on each 
side with a white streak descending from the angle cf 
the gape. Its length is about six inches. This bird, 
which is generally distributed in Europe, is a summer 
visitor to the more northern countries; it frequents 
marshy places, where it dwells and builds its nest 
amongst tbe reeds, rushes, and osiers. 
THE YELLOW BUNTING {Emheriza Citrinella), 
commonly known as the Yellow Ham.mer, is also a 
common British bird, and occurs, like the preceding, 
in all parts of Europe. It measures seven inches in 
length, and has the head and neck, and the whole 
lower surface of the body bright lemon-yellow ; the 
back, wings, and tail exhibit various shades of brown 
and black, with the feathers sometimes edged with 
yellow. This bird builds its nest upon or near the 
ground, usually under the shelter of some thick bush, 
composing it of moss, roots, and bair, very firmly 
interwoven. In tbe winter it is gregarious, and associ- 
ates with other small birds, and in Italy it is caught in 
great numbers, like the following species, and fattened 
for the table. 
THE ORTOLAN {Emheriza Ilortulana) — Plate 13, fig. 
45 — a rare and occasional visitor to this country, is 
very abundant in the south of Europe, where, as just 
stated, it is in great esteem as a delicacy for the table. 
The Ortolans are taken in great numbers in nets, kept 
in a dark room, and fed with an abundance of oats and 
millet, upon which diet they soon become excessively 
fat. This bird is about six inches in length, and of 
a deep reddish-brown colour above, with the head 
greenish-gray ; the lower surface is reddish-buft’, with 
the throat and breast yellowish-green. 
THE CIRL BUNTING {Emheriza Cirlus), another 
rare visitor to Britain, is usually seen only on the south 
coast, where, however, it not unfrequently breeds. It 
is a common species in the south of Europe. The 
plumage is of an ashy olive colour, with longitudinal 
black streaks ; there is a yellow streak above, and 
another below each eye, separated by a black line 
passing through the eye ; the back is reddish, the 
throat black, and the lower part of the neck and belly 
