FRINGILLIDZ—BUNTINGS. 105 
Distribution : Resident in South-eastern Russia, ranging 
eastward to Yarkand. 
Habitat: Probably similar to that of Z. schaniclus. 
Genus PLECTROPHANES. 
SNOW BUNTING. ’ 
Plectrophanes nivalis (Zzuz.) 
Adult Male (Summer): Sack and scapulars dack, 
the former usually mottled, on lower part, with white ; pri- 
maries, tertiaries and bastard wing black; head, neck, upper 
wing-coverts and secondaries zv/z¢e ; tail, with three inner pairs 
of feathers, black altogether, or bordered and tipped with 
white ; rest of tail-feathers and entire under parts white; bill, 
legs and feet black ; irides brown. Length 65 inches ; culmen 
0°43 wing 4°2 to 4°4 ; tail 2°5 ; tarsus 0°75. 
Adult Female (Summer): Similar, but black parts mar- 
gined with grey ; white on upper parts more mottled with black 
and dusky. 
Adult Male (Winter) : Crown and sides of head shaded 
reddish-brown ; black feathers of the back with broad pale 
reddish-brown margins ; tertiaries broadly bordered with chest- 
nut, wings otherwise as in summer; upper tail-coverts with 
broad pale brown, or white edges ; tail as in summer ; beneath 
dull white, tinged with reddish-brown on breast and flanks ; 
bill yellow, darker at tip. 
Adult Female (Winter): Feathers of crown dull chest- 
nut, with black bases ; nape of neck similar, but paler; back 
mottled with black and dull chestnut; tips. of lesser wing- 
coverts and bases of secondaries white ; less white on tail ; 
-throat dull chestnut, which becomes deeper on chest ; rest of 
under parts dull white ; bill dull yellowish. 
Young in first plumage: Fore parts above greyish- 
brown, mottled with darker brown, the chin and throat much 
paler ; upper half of back more or less of a grey tinge ; wings 
and tail much as in adult ; chest and sides of body obscurely 
marked with dusky blackish-brown. 
Young Male in Winter: Similar to adult female at same 
season, but shows more white on wings ; under parts whitish, 
with chestnut band across upper breast. 
