130 BRITISH BIRDS. 
possess. Their principal haunts during their sojourn in this country are 
the lands near the sea; they do not usually wander far from the coast, 
and are rarely seen inland save when an exceptionally sharp or long 
spell of stormy weather drives them to more sheltered localities. In their 
habits they much resemble Bramblings, and are often seen on stubbles and 
weedy pastures. They fly in very compact flocks, and often wheel and 
turn about with great rapidity before they alight. ‘They cannot be called 
very shy birds, but are somewhat wary, and soon become wild if repeatedly 
fired at. Their food at this season is largely composed of grass-seeds ; and 
when these are difficult to obtain (as, for instance, in heavy snows) they 
will even visit the stackyards or pick up a scanty sustenance from the 
droppings on the roads. In this country the Snow-Bunting is very erratic 
in its appearance, and is incessantly changing its ground, after the manner 
of a true gipsy migrant. The frost brings them to the sheltered districts ; 
but the first thaw disperses them again. 
The adult male Snow-Bunting in full breeding-plumage is black and 
white ; the mantle, scapulars, innermost secondaries, the terminal half of 
the primaries, the four centre tail-feathers, most of the next, and the tips 
of the three outside feathers on each side are deep black; all the rest of 
the plumage is snowy white. Bill black; legs, toes, and claws black ; 
irides hazel. The adult female in breeding-plumage differs from the male 
in having the black replaced by dark brown, which extends also onto the 
head and wing-coverts, and in having traces of the pale edges still left on 
all the dark feathers. The soft parts are similar to the male. After the 
autumn moult every feather on the upper parts and the feathers of the 
breast and flanks have broad edgings of chestnut-brown, and the bill 
changes to orange-yellow, darker at the tip. The young in first plumage 
is an entirely different-looking bird. The wings and tail closely resemble 
the adult in autumn plumage ; but all the small feathers are greyish brown, 
paler on the belly and under tail-coverts, and all except those on the belly 
and under tail-coverts have obscure dark centres. In spite of numerous 
assertions to the contrary, there does not appear to be any difference 
between adult birds and birds of the year. 
Kepiies 
o> <G 
YOR \e & S j 
& i OSs 
