BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 



2 53 



in his Naturalist's Guide (p. 110) says they were very numerous in the winter 

 of 1859-60, and quite common in 1868-69. Other years for which I have 

 records from various sources, are 1862, 1876. 1878, 1888, 1891, 1896, and 

 1899. 



2I 7 [534] Passerina nivalis (Linn.). 

 Snow Bunting; Snowflake. 



Abundant winter visitor ; most common in November, December, and Jan- 

 uary, less common in February and March ; October 12 to April 3. 



This bird of the snow appears suddenly the last of October and is to be 

 found in flocks, small and large, but even when most abundant, the flocks rarely 

 number at the present day over two hundred individuals. In the late sixties 

 they were evidently much more common, for Mr. Maynard tells me that they 

 occurred by thousands. In his Naturalist's Guide (p. 112) he says: "I have 

 seen thousands rise at the report of my gun on the Ipswich sand-hills, where it 

 feeds upon the seeds of the beach-grass." The cause of this great reduction in 

 numbers is easily understood when we read that " very recently nearly 80,000 

 Snow Buntings were found by a State game warden in a cold storage house in 

 one of the larger eastern cities, and were identified by a trained ornithologist." 1 

 As far as I have observed there is very little shooting of these birds done on our 

 coast now, but they are as a rule very shy. 



Snow Buntings are found by themselves, or associated with Horned Larks 

 or Lapland Longspurs. I have often seen all three of these species feeding 

 together in the beach-grass of the dunes, and with them an occasional Ipswich 

 Sparrow. Not only do they frequent the dunes, but they are often to be found 

 on the beaches, on the neighboring hills and pastures, and occasionally in the 

 salt marshes, although they are not so much at home there as the Horned 

 Larks. On the beach, however, they are more common than the latter. They 

 also frequent dooryards to pick up scraps, and they often alight on the buildings, 

 stone walls, and fences about these places. On the ground they run and walk 

 rapidly, but occasionally hop, which the Horned Lark never does. Unlike the 

 Lark also, they alight on the large seed-spears of the beach-grass to get the 

 seeds. They also pick at them from the ground. 



On the beaches in winter Snow Buntings take the place of Sandpipers, 



1 Wm. Dutcher: Auk, vol. 20, p. 107, 1903. 



