moustache. ee sn tene
most beautiful. On the continent of Europe other varieties occur, and examples from Norway far exceed
c 5

. One itish Islands. aving menti
in size those from more southern countries, especially those of the British Islands. Having mentioned

My collection contains many such varieties, of which those from chalk districts are the

these facts, I must now state in what countries the Yellow Bunting is found ee us a . a
Europe, it will not be necessary to say more than that it TECHS all eas of the continent, from the SO
of the Mediterranean to Norway, Sweden, and Lapland; it also inhabits the whole of the northern regions
of Africa, from Tunis to the Nile; further eastward it becomes scarce, Dee I Cee the stn of a female
from Erzeroom. I have never seen a specimen from India, neither does Schrenck include it in his List
of the Birds of Amoorland.

M. Bailly, in his work on the ornithology of Savoy, states that ‘during the mornings of the months of
October Ad November flocks of this Bunting pass through Savoy. They come from the north, traverse the
valleys, and generally direct their course towards the southern countries of Europe. Some Hoek: mingled
with the Chaffinches and Cirl Buntings, emigrate from Savoy in order to pass the winter in more genial
regions, and return again towards the end of February and beginning of March ; but considerable no
constantly remain there even during the most severe frosts. The Yellowhammer readily submits to
canaiement, where it will subsist on millet and hemp-seeds or buckwheat, but has no song to solace
those who may keep it. When destined for the aviary, care must be taken that it be noe frightened,
lest it be destroyed by dashing itself violently against the bars of its prison. Its flesh is delicate and much
sought after.” Many modes of capturing it for the purposes of the table are resorted to. In the environs
of Yenne, and particularly at St. Paul, it is hunted unmercifully. The villagers keep the entrances of their
barns and granaries wide open during the day (in order that the birds may enter in quest of subsistence),
conceal themselves bebind the buildings, and, as soon as they have seen a number enter, rush with shouts to
the doors and suddenly close them. Most of the frightened birds attempt to escape by the windows, and there
become entangled in nets placed for the purpose, while those that continue to fly about are pitilessly killed
with blows from rods or switches.

M. de Sélys-Longchamps informs us, in his ‘ Faune Belge,’ that ‘ the Belgian villagers kill many of these
birds when the ground is covered with snow, by a kind of sporting called ramazlle. On a moonless night a
man goes along the sides of old hedges, holding in his hand a torch of burning straw, towards which the

Yellowhammers, quitting the hedges, direct themselves, and are immediately knocked down by two or three
other men with large branches of thorn.”

Mr. Hewitson states that the nest “ may be found upon almost every briery hedge-dyke ; it is most

commonly placed upon the ground, but not unfrequently occupies the centre of a thick bush. It is formed
outwardly of straws, bits of moss, sometimes sticks and c

oarse grass, finer towards the interior, which is
finished with roots and a few hairs.

The female sits closely, and is not easily driven from the nest. The
singularly marked eges, which are from three to five in number, always form

a large portion of the bird-
nesting spoils which fill the string of the schoolboy. Although subject to great variation, they are usually

so characteristic of the species that it would not be easy to confound them with those of any other bird,

a . » e ha a we iS aS . . " . 2 .
except the rarer eges of the Cirl Bunting. In form they are occasionally very long and oval, and sometimes

as round as a marble. I have seen a single specimen of this ege so much suffused with colour that it
might have been mistaken for that of the Cuckoo.”

The adult male in summer has the head, cheeks, e
lemon-yellow, the feathers surroundiug the crow
is also similarly streaked ;

ar-coverts, and throat, chest, and centre of the abdomen

n streaked with dusky; the lower edge of the ear-coverts
nape yellowish, passing into a greenish-olive

tint on the lower part of the neck ;
feathers at the back and wing-coverts black in the

centre and largely margined with sandy red ; lower part
of the back dark rust-red: primaries 3k eee : .
ee ‘ : ae 3 primaries dusky black, narrowly edged with pale yellow; secondaries and
ertiaries also dusky black, more bro: ROE ean ee .

a aN sxy black, more broadly margined with rufous ; tail dusky black, the two centre feathers
margined with rufous, and the two outer ones on each side with a broad patch of white down the apical
portion of the Inner web; breast and flanks yellowish red, each feather darker in the centre; bill bluish
horn-colour ; irides, legs, toes, and claws light brown.

The Plate represents the two s f i 1
WO sexe 11 = , . ’
I sexes, of the size of life, on a flowering branch of the Bramble, Rubus fruti-

COSUS 5 the beautiful little plant accompanying it is the Pyrola minor, obligingly sent to me for the embellish-
ment of this work by the Rev. H. Harpur-Crewe, :