THE SNOW-BUNTING. 141 



Dovrefjeld in Norway ; in winter to middle Europe, rarely to 

 Italy ; in Asia to China. Allied forms in Kamtscliatka and 

 Alaska. 



Genus PLECTROPHENAX Stejn.* 



Plectrophenax Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. v, p. 33 (1882 — Type 

 E. nivalis L. ) 



Comprises only Snow-Bunting with some closely-allied forms 

 on Aleutians and Islands of Bering Sea. Bill : typical Bunting-bill, 

 though without hump in roof of mouth. Plumage full and soft, 

 wings much more elongated than in Ember iza, primaries exceeding 

 secondaries by twice length of tarsus. First visible primary longest, 

 next equal or nearly so, next several millimetres shorter and thence 

 rapidly decreasing in length. Tail about 3-5ths of length of wing, 

 strongly emarginate. Hind claw curved. Coloration of old male 

 somewhat like Montifringilla, but no close relationship. 



PLECTROPHENAX NIVALIS 



57. Plectrophenax nivalis (L.)— THE SNOW-BUNTING. 



Emberiza nivalis Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 176 (1758 — Lapland, 



etc.). 



Plectrophanes nivalis (Linnseus), Yarrell, n, p. 1 ; Plectrophenax nivalis 



(Linnaeus), Saunders, p. 225. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — ^Fore-head, croAvn, and nape 

 wliite, almost entirely concealed by long tawny-buff (dark brown 

 in centre of crown) tips to feathers ; mantle, scapulars, and back 

 black, almost concealed by long fringes varying from tawny-buff 

 to whitish -buff ; rump sometimes as back but more often con- 

 cealed portion of feathers white with black centres or entirely 

 white ; upper taU-coverts same, but longest always black Avith 

 long tawny tips ; lores and line over eye buffish-white ; ear-coverts, 

 tips of feathers of upper breast (forming narrow pectoral band) 

 tawny and frequently tips of feathers of flanks ; rest of under- 

 parts pure white ; tail : two central pau-s black fringed white or 

 buff, next pair black and white, two outer pairs white tipped black 

 on outer webs, next pair with larger black tips ; primaries black 

 narrowly edged and tipped white or buffish-white with bases 

 white usually showing just beyond primary-coverts on outer 

 primaries and more extensive on inner feathers, 9th usually 

 having only distal quarter black, and 10th only a black patch 

 on outer web at tip ; secondaries white often with black marks 

 on outer webs at tip, three innermost black with long tawny-buff 



* Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., v, 1882, p. 33, has clearly shown 

 that the name Plectrophanes is not tenable, and has proposed Plectrophenax. 

 The name Passerina, which has been used for some time, is not correct. — E.H. 



