The RED BUNTING or MEADOW BUNTING (_Emberiza-Glycyspina cia_) is, in
our opinion, a more beautiful species than the much-prized Ortolan,
its plumage being as noticeable for its elegant markings as for the
brilliancy of its colours. The principal tint is reddish brown; the
throat, head, and upper part of the breast are of a delicate grey; the
cheeks and ears are surrounded by a black ring, which is enclosed by two
white lines, the back is marked by a series of spots running in stripes,
and the wings are ornamented with two light borders. The markings in
the plumage of the female are less distinct, and her throat lighter and
more spotted than in the case of her mate. The iris is dark brown, and
the beak blueish black upon the upper mandible, the lower mandible is
light blue, and the feet are horn colour. The length of this bird is
about six and a half inches, its breadth nine and a half inches, and the
wing and tail two and three-quarter inches. The female is not quite so
large. The Red Bunting is an inhabitant of the South, only frequenting
such parts of Germany as are watered by the Rhine; but is numerous in
Austria, Spain, Italy, and Greece, spreading from these countries over
Asia, till it reaches the Himalaya Mountains, where we hear it is very
constantly met with; indeed, our own observations lead us to suppose that
this species prefers mountain districts, avoiding open plains, and is an
inhabitant of the Swiss Alps. There can be no question that precipices
abounding with large fragments of stone afford a most acceptable shelter
for the purpose of incubation, and in such localities it disports itself
much in the same fashion as its congeners, but is rarely seen perching
elsewhere. In its flight, general habits, and song, it is a true Bunting.
The nest is generally built on and about rocks, or in fissures of the
walls that surround the vineyards, with which the sides of the mountains
are frequently covered. The eggs, three or four in number, are greyish
black surrounded with grey lines, often arranged like a girdle round the
middle, thus distinguishing them from those of the Yellow Bunting. [For
drawings of the eggs of this species and of the Cirl Bunting (_Emberiza
cirlus_) see Coloured Plate IV.] The parent birds breed twice in the
season, and when the period of incubation is over join the large flocks
of their companions, with whom they pass the rest of the year.