catalogue of birds. 269 



The Snow Bunting. 

 Order, Passeres. Family, Fringillidc?. 



The Snow Buntin<^ is a winter migrant to our 

 shores, arriving' on our east coasts, generally about the 

 month of October, in large flocks, and spreading into 

 suitable localities. It is an interesting little bird, for 

 though the main body departs from our shores 

 during the spring for northern latitudes to breed in 

 the regions of the Arctic circle — nests having been 

 found on Grinell Land, nearly as far as man has 

 penetrated — some remain and breed with us, 

 especially on the higher ranges of the Scotch 

 mountains. 



The specimens in the case were obtained under 

 the following circumstances : — I had been returning 

 from a very enjoyable day after some Brent Geese 

 with a Roman Catholic Priest — a great sportsman, 

 who possessed one of Tolley's best double-barrelled 

 wild-fowling guns — when casting my eye up a 

 beautiful strand of sand on the shores of the Atlantic, 

 near Castle Gregory, co. Kerry, I noticed a flock 

 of small birds hopping about on one leg, busily 

 searching for food amongst the seaweed left by an 

 ebb tide. This hopping on one leg was quite new to 

 me, and I was quite sure that I had not met with 

 this species. I did not get a shot on that particular 

 day, having no shot sufficiently small for them, but 

 I marked the locality, and visiting the spot on 

 another occasion with some snipe shot cartridges, 

 I bagged six with one barrel. They are in their 

 winter plumage, which you will note is extremely 



