502 EMBERIZIDJB. 



bird was taken as far south as Genoa, and once at Malta, 

 in 1840. From all the southern districts, on the approach 

 of spring, they again return to the northern latitudes from 

 whence they came. 



An adult bird, on its arrival here towards winter, has 

 the beak yellow, the tip almost black ; irides hazel ; top 

 of the head and the ear-coverts reddish brown ; the feathers 

 on the back black at the base, with broad ends of pale red- 

 dish brown ; wing-coverts and tertials white ; the spurious 

 wing, primaries, and secondaries black, with narrow white 

 tips and external edges ; upper tail-coverts tawny and 

 white ; three outer tail-feathers on each side white, tipped 

 with black ; the others black, edged with white ; all the 

 under surface of the body dull white, tinged with reddish 

 brown on the breast and flanks ; legs, toes, and claws, 

 black ; the hind claw elongated and almost straight. In 

 this state it has been called the Tawny Bunting. In sum- 

 mer the brown tips of the feathers on the back having 

 fallen off, leave that part black ; the want of the rusty 

 brown on the head and breast leave those parts white : in 

 this state it is called the Snow Bunting ; and an example 

 in this its fine white summer plumage, was killed at Roy- 

 ston, in Hertfordshire, on the 22nd of May, 1840. This 

 specimen was given to me by my friend Thomas Wortham, 

 Esq., on whose grounds it was shot. In this state of plum- 

 age it is very rare, except in high northern latitudes. When 

 presenting less white than the figure here given, it is a 

 young bird in the state called the Mountain Bunting. Of 

 the young of the year in autumn, apparently unable to per- 

 form a long flight, and flitting from crag to crag, as already 

 noticed, Mr. Macgillivray observes, that they seemed to 

 resemble young females in their second plumage, but with 

 more grey and less white. 



The whole length of an adult bird is about seven inches. 



