ORTOLAN BUNTING. 
191 
INSESSORES 
CONIROSTRES. 
EMBERIZIDJE. 
ORTOLAN BUNTING. 
Emberiza hortulana. 
PLATE XLVIII., FIG. I. 
In Italy, Germany, and various part of the Continent, 
the Ortolan Bunting is an abundant species. I am for¬ 
tunate in being able to give some account of it, from an 
eye witness of its habits. The liberality of the late Mr. 
Hoy supplied me with the nests and several beautiful 
varieties of the eggs of this species, together with the fol¬ 
lowing information:—“ The Ortolan Bunting begins to 
build early in May; it places its nest almost invariably 
in the corn, preferring rye to other kinds ; indeed it is 
partial to light sandy soils where rye is much cultivated. 
The nest is placed in some little hollow in the ground, in 
the manner of that of the sky-lark. It is formed of dry 
grass and roots, thickly lined towards the interior with 
very fine roots; in some, the inside is furnished with a 
few hairs. The eggs are four or five, sometimes, though 
rarely, six in number. I have never found them breed¬ 
ing except amongst corn. The male is almost incessant 
in its monotonous song during the pairing-season ; it 
much resembles others of the tribe, having some resem¬ 
blance to that of the cirl, as well as the reed bunting ” 
Some of the varieties of the eggs are a good deal like 
those of the reed bunting, and others bear some likeness 
to those of the yellow bunting, but are usually easily 
known from both by the number of round spots with 
which they are marked. 
