74 The Black-headed Bunting. 
pale brown edges, the outer quill-feathers are white 
tipped with brown; legs and feet dusky. Length, 
six inches. Female, head and throat reddish-brown, 
inclining to black; the white not-so pure as on the 
male. Length, six inches. Eggs brown-grey marked 
with purplish-brown. 7 
This bird has several names, all of which are very 
characteristic of the bird: Black-headed Bunting, 
Reed Bunting, and Reed Sparrow. Wherever there 
is water, or marshy ground with beds of bulrushes © 
round large pieces of water, this bird may be seen 
perched on some stick or broken reed projecting above 
the water, from which it takes its flight, which extends 
to no great distance and not far from the ground, or 
if crossing a lake or any extent of water, it will flit a 
few feet over the surface, and again alighting on some 
stunted bush or rush often seen by the sides of these 
places, it generally settles itself with a jerk of the 
tail and spreading of the tail-feathers, at the same 
time uttering its simple note, which resembles the 
yellow ammer’s or the common bunting’s. The Black- 
headed Bunting builds in the places already described, 
and composes its nest of dried grass, lined with hair 
and the soft down of rushes, wherein is deposited four 
