BIRDS OF NEW YORK 28l 



Distribution. This old-world species was introduced at Hoboken, N. J., in 1878. 

 The following year it appeared in Central Park, New York City, and soon spread over 

 the northern portions of Manhattan island and the surrounding country. Locally not 

 an uncommon resident (Adney, Auk, 3:409). The winter of 1889, Mr Hendrickson 

 reported three specimens from Long Island City. In the winter of 1891 many were 

 noticed flocking with the American goldfinches at Dobbs Ferry, but several were found 

 dead in the snow, evidently the severity of the winter proving too much for this 

 species (Dr A. K. Fisher). 



I am not aware that the European goldfinch has increased, or even held its own 

 in this State since the brief records rehearsed above were published. In the spring of 

 1900 I noticed several pairs that were endeavoring to build their nests in Central Park, 

 and in the country about Kings Bridge and Spuyten Duyvil, New York City; but 

 from all reports it seems that this beautiful species is not likely to become established 

 so easily as the obnoxious European sparrow. 



Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis (Linnaeus') 

 Snow Bunting 



Plate 80 



Emberiza nivalis Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. 1:176 

 Plectrophanes nivalis DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 178, fig. 158 

 Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 251. 



No. 534 



Plectrophenax, from Gr., rXijxTpov, quill or spur, and ?sva?, a cheat, referring to the 

 long hind claw which might be mistaken for a spur; nivdlis, snowy 



Description. Considerably larger than the English sparrow; tail 

 slightly forked; hind claw longer than toe; wings long and pointed. Male 

 in summer: Largely white; back, under portion of primaries, inner second- 

 aries and inner tail feathers, mostly black. In winter: The top of the 

 head, back of the neck, cheeks and the black feathers of the upper parts, 

 largely overlaid with rusty and buffy whitish; also a touch of rusty on the 

 side of the breast; bill yellow tipped with dusky; feet black. Female: 

 Similar to the male, but upper parts streaked with black in summer, and 

 the wings and tail not so blackish in winter. 



Length cf 7-7.35 inches, 9 6-6.5; extent 12.5-13.25; wing c? 4- 2 ~4-5. 

 ? 4; tail 2.7; bill .42; tarsus .83. 



Distribution. The Snowflake inhabits the northern hemisphere, being 

 holarctic in distribution, in America breeding from 83 degrees north, to 



