119 



fig. 3. Baedeker, Tab. 3, fig. 1. Taczanowski, Tab. LXVI, fig. 3. See- 

 bohm, Br. Birds, pi. 15; id. Col. Fig., pi. 57. Frohawk, Br. Birds, II, pi. VI, 

 fig. 207—209. 



British Local Names: Snowflake, Snowbird, White LarJc. Scot- 

 land: Cock d tJie North, Gualach. Shetlands: Snaa Fool. 



Foreign Names: Bohemia: Strnad snemi. Denmark: Sneverling, 

 Snefugl. Finland: Lumi Pirrku. France: Ortolan de neige. Germany: 

 Schneeammer. Helgoland: Seiising, Ijskletter. Holland: Sneeuwgors. Hungary: 

 Hbsdrmdny. Iceland: Snjbtitlingiir. Italy: Zigolo delta neve. Lapland: 

 Allap. Norway: Snefugl, Snespurv. Poland: Posivierka sniegida. Russia: 

 Podoroznik. Sweden: Snosparf. 



Pledrophanes nivalis (L.). Newton, ed. Yarrell, II, p. 1 ; Dresser, Birds 

 of Europe, IV, p. 261; id. Man. Pal. Birds, p. 374. Plectrophenax nivalis (L.). 

 Saunders, Man., p. 225. Passerina nivalis nivalis (L.). Hartert, Vog. Pal. 

 Fauna, p. 202. 



Breeding Range: Arctic and subarctic Europe, extending to the 

 Fseroes, Shetlands, and the higher mountains of Scotland. [Also Greenland, 

 Arctic N. America and Asia, except Alaska and Kamtschatka, where P. 

 nivalis toivnsendi Ridg. replaces it.] 



The first definite record of the breeding of this species in our islands British 

 is that of Saxby, who obtained a nest with 3 eggs on July 2, 1861 in 

 Unst. Since that date there is evidence of its having bred several times 

 in the Shetlands. For a century past it has been supposed to nest on the 

 higher mountain ranges of Scotland, and in July 1886 a nest with young 

 was found in Assynt by Messrs. Peach and Hinxman, and two years later 

 Mr. J. Young found one with 5 eggs in the same district, while on June 5, 

 1893, another nest with 5 eggs was taken in Banff, at a height of about 

 3700 ft. Since then young have been met with and old birds seen in 

 summer in various localities, such as the Torridon Hills (W. Ross), Ben 

 Nevis, Ben Cruachan, etc. The head quarters of this species appears to 

 be the Cairngorm range, but scattered pairs are to be met with on many 

 of the peaks over 3000 ft. high, nesting among the loose stones of the 

 screes, usually not far from the top. 



In the south of Norway it breeds on the high fjeld, below the snow Con- 

 line, as far as about lat. 60° N., but in the north it is found not only on the ^"rope. 

 shore, but even on the isolated stacks out at sea, nesting generally under 

 boulders. In Lapland it is found both on the barren uplands, strewn with 

 erratic boulders, and also on the rocky parts of the coast, and Sandman 

 records an instance of its breeding on Karlo. On Kolguev it is common, 

 nesting in fissures of the bluffs, and on Novaya Zemlya and Waigatz it 

 is more plentiful than any land bird (Pearson), while a few pairs appear 

 to breed at the mouth of the Petschora and near Habarova, and probably 



