BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



BUNTING, SNOW. 



(Plectrophanes ntvah's.) 

 Order PASSERES ; Family EMHERIZID/E (BUNTINGS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about 

 seven inches ; bill short, conical, and black. Irides 

 hazel. Head and neck white (in some specimens 

 the crown and nape are mottled with black) ; back 

 velvety black ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, 

 some of the feathers being slightly bordered with 

 brownish-white ; wings black on the shoulder or 

 point, white through the middle, and black on 

 outer half and tips ; tail slightly forked, white 

 on the outside and black in the middle ; chin, 

 throat, breast, belly, vent, and under tail-coverts 

 pure white ; legs, toes, and claws black. 



The female is rather smaller, has the white on 

 the head and neck more mottled with black, and 

 her colours generally are not so pure. Very few 

 specimens of the bird have been secured in this 

 country in its breeding plumage. 



Situation and Locality. In crevices and chinks 

 of rock, or amongst loose stones. The bird some- 

 times breeds on the high hills and mountains of 

 the north of Scotland, in the Orkneys and Shet- 

 lands ; but very few nests indeed have ever been 

 found. I have sought for it in a good many 

 localities without success, and need hardly say 

 that I shall feel greatly obliged to any ornith- 

 ologist who will at any time give me an 

 opportunity of photographing a nest and eggs 

 in situ. 



Materials. Dead grass and roots, with an inner 

 lining of finer grass, hair, wool, and feathers where 



