ilus_. The additional palatal
bones just named are also found in several other peculiarly American
families, namely, _Tanagridae_, _Icteridae_ and _Mniotiltidae_--whence it
may be perhaps inferred that the _Emberizidae_ are of Transatlantic origin.
The buntings generally may be also outwardly distinguished from the finches
by their angular gape, the posterior portion of which is greatly deflected;
and most of the Old-World forms, together with some of those of the New
World, have a bony knob on the palate--a swollen outgrowth of the dentary
edges of the bill. Correlated with this peculiarity the maxilla usually has
the tomia sinuated, and is generally concave, and smaller and narrower than
the mandible, which is also concave to receive the palatal knob. In most
other respects the buntings greatly resemble the finches, but their eggs
are generally distinguishable by the irregular hair-like markings on the
shell. In the British Islands by far the commonest species of bunting is
the yellow-hammer (_E. citrinella_), but the true bunting (or corn-bunting,
or bunting-lark, as it is called in some districts) is a very well-known
bird, while the reed-bunting (_E. schoeniclus_) frequents marshy soils
almost to the exclusion of the two former. In certain localities in the
south of England the cirl-bunting (_E. cirlus_) is also a resident; and in
winter vast flocks of the snow-bunting (_Plectrophanes nivalis_), at once
recognizable by its pointed wings and elongated hind-claws, resort to our
shores and open grounds. This last is believed to breed sparingly on the
highest mountains of Scotland, but the majority of the examples which visit
us come from northern regions, for it is a species which in summer inhabits
the whole circumpolar area. The ortolan (_E. hortulana_), so highly prized
for its delicate flavour, occasionally appears in England, but the British
Islands seem to lie outside its proper range. On the continent of Europe,
in Africa and throughout Asia, many other species are found, while in
America the number belonging to the family cannot at present be computed.
The beautiful and melodious cardinal (_Cardinalis virginianus_), commonly
called the Virginian nightingale, must be included in this family.

(A. N.)

BUNTING (a word of doubtful origin, possibly connected with _bunt_, to
sift, or with the Ger. _bunt_, of varied colour), a loosely woven woollen
cloth for making flags; the term is also used of a collection of flag