512 SNOW BUNTING. 



IblloAv iire not unlike those of the Scarlet Tanager, but hick the hu.xkv intonation of that 

 species. The alarm note is a short, metallie-iike chirp, l)ut unlike that of any other 

 North American l.'inl. Oi'ten Avhen utterinir it the hird sits perfectly cpiiet without 

 apparent motion of any kind. 



In the summer of 1SS3 a pair of Grosbeaks built a nest in an apple-ti'ee back of my 

 house in Newtonville. After the young were nearly fully grown, but before they left the 

 nest, both parents were caught by a, cat. I had the three young birds removed from 

 the nest and broughtinto tlie house. Two died after a few days, l)ut the third bird, a male, 

 lived until late in the wintei', acquiring the full song of the male, and quite to my 

 surprise, nearly the full plumage. It was \ery tame, being, in fact, perfectly fearless of 

 mankind. 



The Rose-breast is one of the tirst birds to dejjart in antuuni, leaving Massachusetts 

 early in September. I fomid them common at Watsontown, Pennsylvania, as late as the 

 14th of tlie month. 



GENUS XXIII. PLECTROrHENAX. THE SNOW BUNTINGS. 



Gen. Ch. Bill, slender, longer than high at base. Upper mandible, slightly curved. Wings, long and 

 pointed, when folded reaching beyond the center of tail, which is much shorter than the wings, and is slightly 

 rounded and slightly emarginate. Hind toe nail somewhat longer than its toe, but is considerably curved. 

 Colors in summer, black and white. We have a single species within our limits. 



PLECTRORHENAX NIVALIS. 



Snow Bunting. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cii. Size, medium. Form, rather slender. Color. Adult male in summer. White, with back, 

 tertiarics, primaries, central tail feathers and spots on outer webs of outer two or three, black. Female, 

 similar but smaller, with white more or less suflFused with rusty yellow. In winter, both sexes have the 

 white much suffused with rusty 3'ellow. Iris, brown. Bill, deep yellow, brown at tip. Feet, black, in all 

 stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the black and white colors as described, with the peculiar reddish yellow suflFusion to 

 the white in winter. Occurs in the Arctic regions in summer, migrating by thousands into the United 

 States in winter, occasionally going as far south as Kansas, Southern Illinois and Georgia. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length, 6.50 to 7.00; stretch, 12.00 to 13.00; wing, 4.00 to 4.25 ; tail, 2.50 to 2.75 ; bill, .40 to .45; 

 tarsus, .75 to .80. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on the ground, composed of grass and lined with feathers. Eggs, four or five in number, 

 oval in form, ashy white in color, spotted and blotched with yellowish rufous, usually more thickly on the 

 larger end. This suifused blotching is characteristic. Dimensions, .60 by .90 to .65 by .95. 



HABITS. 



With the coming of the winter winds and snow the Snow Buntings appear in huge 

 flocks. With us, here in Eastern Massachusetts, they frequent the sea board rather than 



