BIRD NOTES 109 



number were seen, trapped, and shot, more than 

 fifty being secured by net and gun. It happened 

 that a bird-catcher who was " set " for Snow-Buntings 

 secured an example, and being curious at the 

 peculiarity of its markings, made inquiries, with the 

 result that it was identified. It was discovered that 

 the Lapland Bunting was quite a boon companion 

 of the commoner species, consorting with it in some 

 numbers, and the rare birds, hitherto supposed to be 

 badly marked females or young, had met with scant 

 notice. One wily bird-catcher after this identifica- 

 tion made it a practice to seek for the species, and 

 having distinguished a difference in its call-note, took 

 particular pains to ensnare every bird possible, until 

 it became accounted absolutely common, and its 

 marketable value came down to between one shilling 

 and two shillings apiece. 



A similar history attaches to the Shore-Lark, which, 

 prior to 1876, was considered a great variety. An 

 educated sportsman shooting into a flock of Snow- 

 Buntings, with which the species consorts from 

 choice, discovered, and afterwards confirmed his con- 

 victions, that it was almost a yearly visitant, some- 

 times arriving in considerable numbers, as in October 

 1880, and again in the winter of 1882, when sixty, 



