SNOWFLAKE. 463 



Variations. — The individuals of this species, especially the 

 males, vary exceedingly in colour, the white being more or less 

 extended, the black more or less deep, and the reddish-brown 

 of the head, rump, throat and sides, varying in extent and 

 in depth of tint. The bill is sometimes 23ure }dlow, but in 

 general there is a touch of brownish-black or light brown on 

 the tips of both mandibles. The females difter less than the 

 males. Some of the latter are very conspicuous in the flocks, 

 on account of the great quantity of pure white on their wings 

 and tail, and are usually selected by " gunners/"' In March 

 1835, I shot near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, an individual 

 which was all over of a cream colour, the head and rump tinged 

 w^ith red, the iris light red, the bill, feet, and claws pale yellow. 

 The skin of this individual, now before me, is very similar to 

 that of Mr. Weir's Yellow Bunting formerly mentioned. 



Changes. — When the loose margins of the feathers are worn 

 oiF in summer, the male assumes a very different aj^pearance. 



jSIale in Summer. — Bill yellow ; feet black. The head, neck, 

 and lower parts, pure white ; those parts of the wings and tail 

 which were of that colour in winter remain so ; the back, alula, 

 primary coverts, and three inner secondaries, pure black, as is 

 the tail excepting the three outer feathers. In this state I ob- 

 served in the beginning of August 1830, two individuals, one 

 on the summit of Ben-na-muic-dui, another on Lochnagar, two 

 of the highest mountains of the Grampians. Not having pro- 

 cured either of these individuals, however, I subjoin the de- 

 scription of a male from Winter Island, shot on the 10th 

 May 1822, and examined at Dr. Richardson's in Edinburgh, 

 on the 16th December 1823. 



The feathers of the back acuminate, as are those of the tail, 

 especially the central. The head, neck, breast, abdomen, sides, 

 rump, proximal half of the primaries, all the secondaries ex- 

 cepting the last three, and the greater part of the lower surface of 

 the wing and tail, are pure white. The anterior and middle part 

 of the back, the three proximal secondaries, the alula, and the ter- 

 minal half of the quills, deep black. The hind part of the back 



