PLECTROPflANES NIVALIS. 443 



[§ 239S. T/^rc^.—^' Switzerland," 27 May, ISGG. bVom lie 

 Sciclcnsachcr, 1807.] 



IT 



[§ 2399. One. — " Switzerland." IVoin Ilerr Scidensaclicr 

 1867.] 



PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS (LinnjEus). 

 SNOW-BUNTING. 



I liave never been able to ascertain the truth of the report that the 

 Snow-Finch breeds in the Grampians. On the Clova, the Argyle- 

 shire and the Sutherland shire mountains, as well as in Shetland and 

 Orkney,, I have looked for it in vain. In the Faroe Islands I first 

 met with it in the breeding-season. A pair or so on several of the 

 high mountains^ a small colony on the north side of Wideroe, and a 

 good many birds on the most north [-east] erly island, little Fugloe. 

 In these dreary spots a simple echoless song first draws one's attention 

 to the handsome cock-bird. He sits upon a fragment of rock, 

 cheering his sombre-coloured mate, who is brooding over her treasure 

 in some sunless hole not far off. Be careful not to disturb him, 

 there is something so soft and pleasant in his notes. Tliere he is 

 at last, in all the joy and comfort of home, the snow-storm war}derer 

 of our land ! Since we saw him last he has bravely struggled over 

 the beaconless sea. He has trimmed his wedding-dress and wooed his 

 bride. In someplace where the ground is covered with rough si ones 

 he has found a dry recess, in which with his partner's help he has built 

 a compact nest of the finest grass-stalks, and lined it with feathers. 

 Wait a little and he will shew you where it is. Must you carry off 

 the beautiful piece of work ? You will at least make the best substi- 

 tute you can out of the reindeer-moss which you will find near, and 

 the Avool which you will have with you. Or if there are eggs and 

 you will take them, you must reflect that you cause a few hours 

 uneasiness, but that the parents will have all the pleasure as well as 

 all the trouble of nest-making over again. In such an artificial 

 cradle as I have just suggested, I left five young Snow- Finches 

 upon Pallas-tunturi, a mountain in Finland. It was on the 2:2nd 

 of June last, and they were apparently about a week old. Now 

 some days ago the first flock arrived in this village, and I thought 



