SNOWFLAKE. 465 



July 1831. It contained young ones.'' Although it remains 

 only about four months in the country, it extends as far south 

 as Louisville in Kentucky. 



Dr. Richardson says that " it is only during the months of 

 December and January that it retires to the southward of the 

 Saskatchewan. It usually reaches that river again about the 

 middle of February; two months afterwards it attains the 

 sixty- fifth parallel of latitude, and in the beginning of May 

 it is found on the coast of the Polar Sea.'' Again, " on the 

 22d July 1826, in removing some drift timber lying on the 

 beach of Cape Parry, we discovered a nest on the ground, con- 

 taining four young Snow-birds." 



Now, from these statements, we learn that the young are not 

 abroad until the end of July ; and that the species does not 

 leave its breeding places until the beginning of November, or 

 even later. If its habits are similar in Europe, we have reason 

 to conclude that the individuals seen in Scotland in August and 

 September, were indigenous. 



It is not until the end of October that the Snowflake makes 

 its appearance along the coasts, or on the higher grounds, of 

 the south of Scotland ; and about the same period in the 

 south of England, although there it is of much less frequent 

 occurrence. It is not uncommon on the sands to the north 

 of Aberdeen, and on the shores of the Frith of Forth, es- 

 pecially in time of snow or frost ; but when the weather is 

 mild, it generally betakes itself to the inland parts. A large 

 flock has for several years past continued all the winter between 

 Leith and Portobelio, where before the end of March it is 

 usually much thinned, the males especially being destroyed by 

 boys and other idlers. When the flocks first arrive, I have not 

 observed in them any deficiency of males ; but the longer they 

 continue in a place, the more do they seem to be composed 

 chiefly of females and young birds, as persons shooting at them 

 naturally select the most beautiful. 



Assembled in large straggling flocks, or scattered in small 

 detachments, these birds may be seen flying rather low alon<y 

 the shore, somewhat in the manner of Larks, moving in an un- 

 dulated line by means of repeated flappings and short intervals 



Hh 



