169 



Economic Status. As it is only a winter visitor to settled Canada and 

 shows strong partiality for the fruit of coniferous trees, it is a neutral species, 

 doing perhaps no great good but certainly no harm. 



534. Snow Bunting, snowflake. fr. — le plectrophane de neige. Plectrophe- 

 nax nivalis. L, 6-88. Plate XXX B. 



Distinctions. Sharply contrasting black and white colouring with most of the feathers 

 heavily bordered with rusty, especially on the head, back, and breast-band. Through 

 the winter the rusty borders gradually wear off and the breeding plumage of black and 

 white results without moult. The general scheme of colouring of the Snow Bunting is 

 found in no other Canadian bird. 



Field Marks. Gregarious ground sparrows showing large amounts of white on black 

 wings when flying. 



Nesting. On ground in moss, nest of grass, rootlets, and moss lined with feathers 

 and fur. 



Distribution. Circumpolar Arctics. In Canada, breeding from the edge of barren 

 groimds northward across the continent. 



SUBSPECIES. Though the Snow Bunting is divided into several subspecies, in 

 eastern Canada only the type form, the Common Snow Bunting, occurs. 



Winter visitors in .southern Canada, feeding on the weed-tops that 

 project from the snow in open fields and rarely perching in trees. A flock 

 alights in the weed-spotted snow and gradually works across it, the rear 

 of the flock rising up from time to time like a flurry of snow and pitching 

 ahead, the process being repeated until the whole field is covered. 



536. Lapland Longspur. fr. — le plectrophane de laponie. Calcarius lap- 

 ponicus. L, 6-25. A gregarious, winter sparrow frequenting open fields. Males — dark 

 brown above sharply streaked with buff to crown of head, with a rufous collar across 

 back of neck, cheeks, throat, and bib black. Flanks streaked with black, brown, and 

 buff. White, below. Females and juveniles are similar, but with the black on the face 

 and throat replaced by suffusions of brown and buff or showing only vaguely in scattered 

 irregular feathers. The nail of the hind toe is greatly elongated as in the Horned Lark 

 (Figure 44, p. 25). 



Distinctions. In habits the Longspur may be mistaken for Snow Bunting, but the 

 sharply streaked back, lack of white on the wing, and the elongated hind claw are dis- 

 tinctive. The lack of ear tufts, the absence of yellow on the throat, and the sparrow- 

 Like bill will separate it from the Horned Lark. Large size, ground habit, and occurrence 

 in winter in flocks will distinguish the Longspur from any other sparrow of similar 

 coloration. 



Field Marks. The lack of white masses on the wings will distinguish the Laplnd 

 Longspur from the snow Bunting, and the lack of ear tufts and yeUow throat from ahe 

 Horned Lark, the birds with which it is most likely to be confused in life. 



Distribution. A circumpolar species coming down into settled districts only in winter' 

 In America it breeds in high latitudes across the continent. 



SUBSPECIES. In the east, only one subspecies of Lapland Longspur, the Eastern 

 Longspur, the type form, ever occurs. 



Similar in habits to the Snowflake and often accompanying flocks of 

 Snowflakes and Horned Larks. 



540. Vesper Sparrow, grass finch, bay-winged sparrow, fr. — le pinson a 

 ailes baies. Pooecetes gramineus. L, 5-75. Plate XXXI A. A dull coloured ground 

 sparrow softly streaked with shades of brown, above; below, white, with suffused streaks 

 on the flanks, across the breast, and on the sides of throat. Shoulders, brownish rufous. 



Distinctions. The Vesper can be separated from other earth-coloured sparrows by 

 its red-brown upper wing' coverts or shoulders, and the white on the outer tail feathers. 



Field Marks. The Vesper Sparrow is easily mistaken for the Song Sparrow in hfe, 

 but the lack of the central breast spot caused by the aggregation of the streaks and the 

 presence of the white outer tail feathers visible in flight are distinctive. The Junco, 

 an evenly dark grey bird, is the only other comparable species having such a tail mark. 



