sight ;” and Mr. W. H. Simpson, in his ‘ Ornithological Notes frou Mesolonghi and Southern Aitolia,’ 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 Corfy
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.’ ”

The 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 |
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. Jerdon tells us that ‘‘In India the Black-headed Bunting is only found in the North-western
Provinces, where 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 back.

The male in fall breeding-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 whole of the under surface and the sides
of the neck bright 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 brown; the under
surface washed with yellow, which is deepest on the under tail-coverts.
The figures are of the natural size; the low

er one, or female, was taken from the specimen killed at
Brighton,