174 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



less black on the upper parts, and on the breast ; no buffy line 

 back of eye ; often no reddish-brown on the hind neck. 



The Lapland Longspur is a very rare winter visitant 

 along the sea-coast in the neighborhood of New York city, 

 and a rare migrant along most of the New England coast. 

 At Ipswich, Mass., on the grassy hills near the ocean^ espe- 

 cially at Great Neck, it is often a common fall migrant. It 

 arrives late in October and often stays into January. It 

 feeds either in company with Horned Larks and Snow Bunt- 

 ings, or in small flocks alone. None of these birds hop ; 

 all walk or run. 



Its notes are a harsh and rattling chirr, less musical 

 than the roll of the Snow Bunting, and a sweet tyee, which 

 corresponds to the tee of the Bunting. If one is thoroughly 

 familiar with the Lark and the Bunting, it is easy to distin- 

 guish the Longspur from them. The absence of a yellow 

 throat-patch outlined with black separates it from the Lark, 

 and its general dark tone distinguishes it from the Bunting. 

 In fact, the reddish-brown wings and blackish breast suggest 

 an immature male English Sparrow. 



Snowflake ; Snow Bunting. Passerina nivalis 



6.88 



Ad. in autumn and winter. — Head and under parts white, 

 washed on the head and sides of breast with brown ; the black 

 feathers of the back veiled with gray and brown ; wings and tail 

 black and white ; bill reddish-brown. Im. — Brown on the crown, 

 and sides of throat deeper ; black of wings and tail not so clear, 

 and white less pure. Ad. in March. — The brown begins to wear 

 off, the plumage tending to become black and white. 



The Snow Bunting is a common winter resident on the 

 coast of New York and New England, and along the shore 

 of Lake Cham plain, arriving late in October and leaving 

 toward the end of March. Occasionally large flocks appear 

 in the interior, especially in northern New England, feeding 



