74 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



the summer of 1896 several broods were reared on 

 the summit of Ben Nevis (Science Gossip, Nov. 

 1896). The food in summer includes the larvae of 

 Noctua xanthographa, a common moth in the 

 haunts of this bird [Zool., 1881, p. 66); in autumn 

 and winter, seeds ; and in spring the buds of Saxi- 

 fraga oppositifolia. Prof. Newton has stated [Zool., 

 1881, p. 103) that the nest of the Snow Bunting is 

 never exposed to the sky, but is always under cover. 

 In Novaya Zemlya, however, Mr. H. J. Pearson and 

 Col. Fielden found several nests of this bird on 

 slabs of rock fully exposed to view ("Beyond Pet- 

 sora Eastward," 1899, pp. 82, 85). 



The Snow Bunting has been known to breed in 

 captivity, as in Mr. Stevenson's aviary at Norwich 

 (Zool, 1875, pp. 4290, 4380), and in Mr. John 

 Gatherer's aviary at Elgin, where I myself saw the 

 eggs that were laid (Zool, 1887, p. 391). 



During the first week in May 1892 between 3000 

 and 4000 Snow Buntings were landed on Newcastle 

 Quay, and were afterwards hawked about for sale for 

 eating. The birds were in beautiful plumage, but it 

 is not recorded from whence they came. 



LAPLAND BUNTING. Plectrophanes lapponica (Lin- 

 naeus). PI. 12, figs. 12, 13, 13a. Length, 6-25 in.; 

 wing, 3*5 in. ; tarsus, 075 in. 



An uncertain visitor in autumn and winter, 

 usually on or near the coast, occasionally in consider- 

 able flocks (Cordeaux, Zool, 1894, p. 19 ; 1895, p. 59). 

 Sometimes associating with larks, and so taken in 



