BUNTING, Emberiza, a genus of birds closely allied to finches and sparrows, and included with them by some ornithologists in the great family fringiUidte (q.v.), but by others made the type of a distinct family. emberizidm, of which the most marked char acteristics are a short, straight, conical bill, a curved form of the gape, produced by a 'narrowing of the sides of the upper mandible, and a enlargement of the under one, and a hard rounded knob on the palate or inner surface of the upper man dible. This knob probably aids in crushing the seeds, which are a principal part of the food of these birds. The species of the 13. family are numerous, and are arranged in several genera. The true buntings (forming the restricted genus emberiza) have the hind claw moderately short. curved. and strong, and the palatal knob large and bony. The CO3IMON 13. or CORN B. (E. rnilieria)—a bird considerably larger than a house-sparrow, brown, with darker streaks on tlir noyer.patts, brown, with spots and lines of dark brown on the under parts, and with a slightly forked tail—is frequent, particularly in low cultivated grounds in Britain, and in most parts of Europe, extending also into Asia, living in pairs during spring and summer, but in flocks in winter, and often visit Mg barn-yards at that season, along with chaffinches and sparrows. It is the largest of the British buntings. It is supposed that the winter flocks in Britain are much increased by migration from more northerlyregious. This B. often passes the night on the ground in stubble-fields, and is taken in the nets employed for catching larks, and brought with them to market. It usually builds its nest on or very near the ground. Its notes are
harsh and unmusical.—The REED B., or BLACR-HEADED B. (E. ehoeniclus), is a species common in marshy situations, both in Britain and on the continent of Europe; a very pretty little bird, with black head and throat, strikingly contrasted with the white nape and sides of the neck.—The Om, B. (E. cirlus), of which the head is olive-green, with black streaks, and with patches of bright lemon-yellow on the cheeks and over the eyes, is a rare British bird, and belongs chiefly to the s. of Europe and the n. of Africa. To this genus belong also the Orb:5lan (q.v.) and the Yellow-hammer (q.v.).—The Snow B. (q.v.), or Snowflake (E. nicalis of many authors), has been placed in the new genus pleclropkanes. The name B. has been often very vaguely used, and many species have been almost indiscriminately called buntings or finches. The palatal knob affords the best distinctive character. North America has a number of species of bunting.—The BLACK-T11110ATED B. (E. Americana) is extremely plentiful on the prairies of Texas and other south-western parts of the United States; extending, however, as far as to Ohio, and even to Massachusetts. In the middle and northern states, it occurs. only as a sum mer bird of passage. In its habits, it closely resembles the common B. of Europe; but the palatal knob is less hard.