284 INSESS. PLECTROPHANES. LARK-BUNTING. 



young or immatured birds ; and no instance of the capture 

 of the adult male, distinguished by a marked and well con- 

 trasted plumage, has yet come to my knowledge. By Dr 

 LATHAM and others, this species was placed in the genus 

 Fringllla of LINN.EUS, although it possesses all the charac- 

 teristic features of the Snow Bunting, which, in the " Index 

 Ornithologicus" of the former author, stands at the head of 

 the genus Emberiza. TEMMINCK, however, was aware of its 

 true affinity, and accordingly, in his " Manuel," it ranks as 

 a second species of his section " Brit ant eperonniers? 



In its habits, this bird resembles the preceding one, and, 

 like it, is also an inhabitant of the Arctic Regions. In North 

 America, it winters on the coast of Hudson's Bay, and is also 

 supposed by Dr RICHARDSON to frequent, during the same 

 period, the borders of Lakes Huron and Superior ; but rare- 

 ly advances to the southward of that parallel. Early in 

 spring it again moves northward, and during summer visits 

 very high latitudes, breeding in the marshy meadows upon 

 the shores of the Arctic Seas. 



Nest, &c. The nest, Dr RICHARDSON observes, " is placed upon a 

 small hillock, among moss and stones, and is composed ex- 

 ternally of the dry stems of grass, interwoven to a conside- 

 rable thickness, and lined very neatly and compactly with 

 deer's hair." The eggs are usually seven in number, of a 

 pale ochre-yellow, spotted with brown. In Europe it inha- 

 bits Lapland and other boreal regions ; and during winter 

 the young sometimes extend their southerly migrations as far 

 as Switzerland. In other more temperate parts of the Con- 

 tinent it is (as in Britain) only known as an occasional visi- 

 tant. 



Food. It feeds upon the seeds of various grasses, as well as those 



of the alpine fruits, as the Arbutus alpina, &c. 



PLATE C. Fig. 6. Represents this bird of the natural size. 

 General ^ n ^ yellowish-brown, palest towards the base of the under 



descrip- mandible. Head, and all the upper parts of the body, 



tion. 



