185 

 THE LAPLAND BUNTING. 



PLECTROPHANES LAPP6nICA. 



Crown of the head black, speckled with red ; throat and breast black, a broad 

 white band extending from the eye down the sides of the neck ; nape bright 

 chestnut ; back, wings, and tail variegated with brown, Avhite, and black ; 

 under parts white, spotted at the sides with dark brown. Length six inches 

 and three-quarters. Eggs pale ochre-yellow, spotted with browoi 



This bird, as its name denotes, is an inhabitant of high 

 northern latitudes ; and its occurrence in this country is 

 very rare. A few only have been shot, in places remote 

 I'rom each other ; and in the year 1843, a female was cap- 

 tured by a bird-catcher near Milnthorpe, in Westmoreland, 

 and kept for some time in an aviary, where it soon became 

 friendly with its companions and took its daily meal of 

 rape, canary, or hemp seeds, and now and then a sprinkling 

 of oats, with apparent satisfaction. In the arctic regions 

 it inhabits hilly and mountainous districts, and s^jends 

 jnost of its time on the ground, where it runs in the 

 manner of Larks, and where also it builds its nest. The 

 male is said to have a pleasing song, combining that of 

 the Skylark and of the Linnet, 



SNOW BUNTING. 



PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS. 



Head, neck, portion of the wings, and lower parts white ; upper parts black, 

 tinged here and there with red. Length six inches and three-quarters. Egg-s 

 pale reddish white, speckled and spotted with brown and pale red. 



This, though a northern bird also, does not confine itself 

 so closely to the arctic regions as the preceding species ; 

 but is of common occurrence in many parts of Scotland 

 during autumn and winter, and later in the season in 

 various parts of England. Macgillivray, whose acquaintance 

 with British birds, especially those of Scotland, was very 



