BRITISH BIRDS. 
with brown ; the two middle feathers of the tail 
are black, with pale brown edges ; the reft wholly 
black, except the two outer ones, which are almoft 
white, the ends tipped with brown, and the bafes 
black; the legs and feet dulky brown. The fe- 
male has no collar ; its throat is not fo black, and 
its head is variegated with black and ruft colour ; 
the white on its under parts is not fo pure, but is 
of a reddifh caft. 
Birds of this fpecies frequent fens and marfhy 
places, where there are abundance of rufhes, a- 
mong which it neftles. The neft is compofed of 
dry grafs, and lined with the foft down of the reed ; 
it is fixed with great art between four reed ftalks, 
two on each fide, almoft clofe to each other, and 
about three feet above the water : The female lays 
four or five eggs, of a pale blueilh white, veined 
irregularly with purple, principally at the larger 
end. As its chief refort is among the reeds, it is 
fuppofed that the feeds of that plant are its princi- 
pal food ; it is however frequently feen in the 
higher grounds near the roads, and fometimes in 
corn fields. Thefe birds in general feek their food, 
fimilar to the Bunting, in cultivated places ; they 
keep near the ground, and feldom perch except a- 
mong the bullies. The male, during the time of 
hatching, has a foft, melodious, warbling fong, 
whilft it fits perched among the reeds, and is fre- 
quently heard in the night time. It is a watchful, 
timorous bird, and is very eafily alarmed ; in a 
