THE SNOW-BUNTING, 145 



Migrations. — British Isles. — ^Arrives regularly but in varying 

 numbers east coast mid-Sept, to mid-Kov. (extremes Sept. 1 to 

 Xov. 21). Many remain as winter visitors and passage movements 

 take place down east coast (especially noticeable in years when 

 species is more numerous) up to mid-Dec. and later under adverse 

 weather conditions. Return migration mid-March to mid-April 

 (extremes March 12 to June 8), Less regular west coast, but 

 occasionally in large numbers (as in 1911) in western isles. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — ^Arctic and subarctic regions of Northern 

 Hemisphere to about 60° in Scandinavia, in winter farther soutli, 

 in small numbers to Mediterranean countries, even to north Africa, 

 Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores. American ornithologists 

 separate a subspecies from Siberian coast of Bering Sea and 

 Commander, Pribilof, and Shumagin Islands, but this requires 

 confirmation. 



[Note. — A specimen of the American Snowbird, J unco hyemalis (L.), 

 of which ten different local races inhabit the whole of North America, was 

 captured at Loop Head Light (Clare), May 30, 1905 (Irish Nat., 1906, p. 137 ; 

 Brit. B., I, p. 12), having probably escaped from captivity.] 



[Note. — Specimens of the American White-throated Sparrow, 

 Zonotrichia albicollis (Gm. ), have occurred at Aberdeen, near Brighton (Sussex), 

 in Holderness (Yorks. ), and on Flannan Isles, but these had probably 

 escaped. Breeds in eastern North America, and winters in eastern United 

 States, and as far south as north-east Mexico and Florida.] 



Family ALAUDID^. 



This is one of the best-defined families of Passeres, though its 

 members are very variable in structure. Sides of tarsus covered 

 with scutes, not with an unbroken lamina. Hind claw quite or 

 almost straight, very sharp and often much elongated. First 

 primary varying from practical absence, unless searched for, tO' 

 length of ]5rimary-coverts (and in foreign species to one-third 

 and even half of length of wing). Sexes generally alike in colour,, 

 though different in size, but in Melanocorypha yeltoniejisis very- 

 different in colour. Young in most species spotted, but not in 

 Arrhmomanes (Desert-Larks) and Rham.'phocorys. Numerous genera 

 in Europe, Africa and Asia, in America only Eremophila, in 

 Australia only Mirafra. 



Key to genera of family Alaudid^. 



/ First (rudimentary) primary well developed, more than half length of 

 I primary-coverts 2 



First (rudimentary) primary invisible or quite narrow and stiff, less 

 "- than half primary-coverts 3 



L 



