SNOW-BUNTING. 3 



that be saw some Snow-flakes on the top of a Ptarmigan- 

 mountain near Lochaber August 29th, probably in 1784 or 

 1785.* It does not appear that the Snow-Bunting was 

 again observed in summer in this district until the 

 middle of July 1874, when Mr. Nicholas Cooke (who had 

 seen several birds on Ben-y-Bhean, one of the Ben Nevis 

 range, July 6th, 1866), as he kindly informed the Editor, 

 saw one in immature plumage on Craig Maige, a hill about 

 4000 feet high at Loch Laggan. On the other hand the 

 species has been frequently noticed in summer in the neigh- 

 bourhood specified by Pennant. Thus Macgillivray mentions 

 his having observed a beautiful male bird flitting about the 

 summit of Ben-na-muic-dhui (4300 feet) August 4th, 1830, 

 and his meeting some days afterwards with a flock of eight 

 — evidently a family-party, near Lochnagarf (3700 feet) at 

 the top of which just twenty years later he again saw three 

 examples (Nat. Hist. Dee Side, p. 45), while he states on 

 the authority of three informants that the species breeds on 

 several other mountains in the vicinity. From his earlier 

 experience he had already inferred the probability of the 

 Snow-flake breeding, perhaps in considerable numbers, on 

 the higher Grampians, though he truly remarked that it was 

 impossible for the vast flocks seen on the lower grounds in 

 winter to be exclusively of Scottish origin. In 1859, Mr. 

 Edward asserted (Zool. p. 6597) that he had often met with 

 the bird in different places in Banffshire during summer, 

 but had never been able to detect it breeding. Mr. R. Gray 

 states that he has most satisfactory information as to the 

 species being seen throughout the year on the mountains 

 already named, as well as others near them in the counties 

 of Aberdeen, Banff and Inverness, adding that it was a 

 source of wonder to his informants that they had never 

 found the nest. On June 21st, 1870, Col. Drummond-Hay 

 saw a pair on Ben-na-muic-dhui where he had no doubt 



* The year in which the Colonel's expedition was made seems to be nowhere 

 stated in his book, and the present Editor only gives it approximately from 

 internal evidence. 



f It must not however be supposed that the " Snow-Hake" of Byron's poem on 

 this mountain refers to the bird. 



