138 



A PRACTICAL HAKDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



CALCARIUS LAPPONICUS 



56. Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus (L.) — THE LAPLAND 

 BUNTING. 



Fringilla lapponica Linna?us, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 180 (1758 — 

 Lapland). 



Plectrophanes lapponicus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, 11, p. 15 ; Calcarhis lap- 

 ponicus (Linnaeus), Saunders, p. 223. 



Lapiaii'J Bimtiiij {Calcarius I. lapponicus). o spring. 



Description. — Admit male. Winter. — Crown black almost entirely 

 concealed by long buff and brown tips to the feathers ; broad band 

 at back of neck extending on to sides of neck chestnut, much 

 concealed by buff tips : mantle, scapulars, back, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts streaked black and chestnut-brown, feathers broadly 

 edged and tipped sandy and Avhitish-buff ; lores whitish ; stripe 

 over and behind eye sandy-buff ; ear -coverts same but partly 

 marked black ; between ear-coverts and chestnut band a buffish- 

 wliite patch ; cheeks, indistinct malar stripes and lower throat 

 black, much concealed by buffish-A\ hite tips to feathers ; chin, 

 centre of throat, breast, belly and under tail-coverts huffish- white ; 

 flanks heavily streaked black and chestnut-browoi ; axillaries 

 Avliite ; tail-feathers black-brown edged buff, outer pair with most 

 of outer web buffisli-white and large wedged-shaped buifish-Avhite 

 mark on inner web, penultimate pair witli smaller bufiish-white 

 Avedge on inner A\eb ; primaries and secondaries black-brown 

 narrowly edged buff or whitish-buff on outer and inner webs, inner 

 secondaries broadly edged chestnut-brown on outer webs and 

 tipped whitish ; greater coverts same but with more distinct 

 white tips ; median coverts more buff or buffish-wliite less chestnut ; 

 lesser coverts tipjDed and edged buff. This plumage is acquired 

 by complete moult in August. Summer.— A moult confined to 

 lores, fore-head, ear-coverts, chin and upper throat takes place 

 in April, new feathers of these parts being jet-black. Abrasion of 

 pale tips of feathers gradually makes rest of croAvn and base of 

 throat uniform black ; band at back of neck uniform bright 

 orange-chestnut ; mantle, back and rump much darker — black 



