ia 
300 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
According to the statements of those traders who have resided 
near Hudson’s Bay, the Snow Buntings are the earliest of their 
migratory birds; appearing there about the 11th of April, staying 
about a month or five weeks, and proceeding farther north to breed. 
They return again in September, stay till November, when the 
severe frosts drive them southward.” 
PLECTROPHANES LAPPONICUS. — Selby. 
The Lapland Longspur, 
Emberiza lapponica, Audubon. Orn. Biog., IV. (1838) 472. 
Plectrophanes lapponicus, “‘ Selby.”? Bon. List (1888). 
DESCRIPTION. 
First quill longest; legs black; head all round black, this extending as a semi- 
circular patch to the upper part of breast; sides of Jower neck and under parts 
white, with black streaks on the sides, and spots on the side of the breast; a short 
brownish-white streak back of the eye; a broad chestnut collar on the back of the 
neck; rest of upper parts brownish-yellow, streaked with dark-brown; outer tail 
feathers white, except on the basal portion of the inner web. 
This species is very seldom seen in full spring plumage in the United States. In 
perfect dress, the black of the throat probably extends further down over the breast. 
In winter, the black is more or less concealed by whitish tips to the feathers beneath, 
and by yellowish-brown on the crown. Some fall specimens, apparently females, 
show no black whatever on the throat, which, with the under parts generally, are 
dull-white, with a short black streak on each side of the throat. 
Length, about six and twenty-five one-hundredths inches; wing, three and 
ninety one-hundredths; tail, two and eight one-hundredths. 
This bird is found only as an extremely rare winter 
visitor in the interior of New England; but in some local- 
ities on the seaboard it is not uncommon, associating 
with flocks of Snow Buntings. We are informed by Dr. 
Richardson, that it breeds in the moist meadows on the 
shores of the Arctic Sea. The nest is placed on a small 
hillock, among moss and stones; is composed externally 
of the dry stems of grass, interwoven to a considerable 
thickness ; and lined, very neatly and compactly, with deer’s 
hair. The eggs, usually seven, are pale oclire-yellow, 
spotted with brown. 
