out Europe, which is hardly less extraordinary than that of
the preceding species, may account in some measure for its
scarcity in our island. Its affection for certain spots renders
any attempt to treat of its distribution not only difficult
but, for want of sufficiently precise information, almost
futile. Its presence or absence cannot as yet be connected
with any known peculiarity of geological formation, soil or
crops. It was long ago said in France, and apparently with
truth, to prefer wine-growing districts and to spread as these
were extended, though it certainly does not feed upon grapes.
But it is found equally in countries where vineyards are
unknown, and is then a denizen of corn-fields and of the
fences or hedges, if such there be, that surround them, so
that the real cause of its partiality for either kind of agriculture
remains to he discovered. Even so near to us as
Holland it has been said by several authors to be rare, hut
the Editor knows that in some parts of that country, and
especially near Valkenswaerd, it must be plentiful, from the
number of eggs he has received thence. It would also seem
that there are districts in which it is abundant in one year
and in another almost wanting, and a misconception of this
perhaps has given rise to the belief entertained by some that
it is a species which is extending its range. Found sporadically
throughout Germany it does not seem to penetrate further
into Russia than its south-western Governments, and whether
it is to he deemed an inhabitant of the Asiatic territories
of that power depends chiefly on the value assigned to
the distinguishing characters of a nearly-allied form—the
Emberiza shah* of Bonaparte, which, originally described
from Persia, reaches the river Obi in summer, retreating
in winter to India. The true Ortolan however seems to be
abundant in the Caucasus and to reach Elburz. It is said
also to have been found at Erzeroom and is possibly spread
throughout Asia Minor. In Palestine it is very abundant
and breeds. In Egypt it is a bird-of-passage, and in winter
* This seems to be identical with the E. cerrutii of De Filippi, and whether
both names may not also be synonyms of E. buchanani, the ordinary Indian
form, the Editor has no means of ascertaining.
is very plentiful in Abyssinia, where it may possibly also
stay to breed. We have no record of its occurrence on the
intermediate part of Africa till we reach Algeria, where
according to Loche it inhabits the Sahel; hut other explorers
of that country have not encountered it. Tyrwhitt
Drake found it in summer at Tangiers, and Favier, as
quoted by Col. Irby, states that it is very abundant there, hut
the last never met with it very near Gibraltar, though it is
plentiful enough about Seville and in other parts of Spain.
In Portugal it seems to have been recognized hut once—
near Coimbra. Throughout the rest of the European continent,
always excepting the western and northern portions
of France, and the eastern and northern portions of
Russia, the Ortolan occurs in general terms pretty universally,
hut as before stated the universality of its distribution
is so much interrupted as to render it sporadic at least in
the breeding-season, for during its migrations it is frequently
found in places to which it is at other times a
stranger.
Hoy, in a communication to this work, says of the habits
of this species in Flanders that “ it makes its appearance
at the beginning of May, and almost immediately pairs
and commences building; its monotonous chirping notes
are heard the whole day long. These birds prefer light
sandy soils, and build invariably on the ground in fields
of corn—at least I never met with a nest in any other
situation: those I found were placed in a slight hollow,
were something similar to the nest of the Skylark, but
rather more compact; the interior lined with fine grass
and a few hairs; the eggs are from four to six in number.”
They ordinarily measure from '85 to ‘72 by from *66 to *58,
but occasionally not more than *64 by '55 in., and have a
purplish- or reddish-white ground, spotted and blotched, hut
rarely veined, with very dark liver-brown—almost black, and
sometimes with patches of dull lavender and brownish-red.
In Central Germany the Ortolan is said to haunt the beds of
willows and alders that grow on the edges of low-lying
ground, hut not to frequent marshy spots themselves. It