296 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



Mr. Yerrill says that it is found rarely in Maine. I know 

 nothing of its habits, nest, or eggs. 



PLECTROPHANES, MEYER. 



Plectropkanes, MEYER, Taschenbuch (1810). Agassiz. (Type Emberiza nivalis.) 

 Bill variable, conical, the lower mandible higher than the upper; the sides of 

 both mandibles (in the typical species) guarded by a closely applied brush of stiffened 

 bristly feathers directed forwards, and in the upper jaw concealing the nostrils; the 

 outlines of the bill nearly straight, or slightly curved; the lower jaw considerably 

 broader at the base than the upper, and wider than the gonys is long ; tarsi consid- 

 ably longer than the middle toe; the lateral toes nearly equal (the inner claw 

 largest), and reaching to the base of the middle claw ; the hinder claw very long ; 

 moderately curved and acute ; considerably longer than its toe ; the toe and claw 

 together reaching to the middle of the middle claw, or beyond its tip ; wings very 

 long and much pointed, reaching nearly to the end of the tail ; the first quill longest, 

 the others rapidly graduated ; the tertiaries a little longer than the secondaries ; tail 

 moderate, about two-thirds as long as the wings ; nearly even, or slightly emargi- 

 nated. 



PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS. Meyer. 

 The Snow Bunting. 



Emberiza nivalis, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 308. Wils. Am. Orn., III. 

 (1811) 86; Aud. Orn. Biog., II. (1834) 515; V. (1839) 496. 

 "Plectrophanes nivalis, Meyer." Bon. List (1838). 



DESCRIPTION. 



Colors, in full plumage, entirely black and white ; middle of back between scapu- 

 lars, terminal half of primaries and tertiaries, and two innermost tail feathers, black ; 

 elsewhere pure-white; legs black at all seasons. In winter dress white beneath; 

 the head and rump yellowish-brown, as also some blotches on the side of the breast; 

 middle of back brown, streaked with black ; white on wings and tail much more 

 restricted. 



This species varies much in color; and the male in full plumage is seldom, if ever, 

 seen within the limits of the United States. 



Length, about six and seventy-five one-hundredths inches ; wing, four and thirty- 

 five one-hundredths ; tail, three and five one-hundredths inches ; first quill longest. 



This is a very common winter visitor in all parts of New 

 England, but is most abundant in localities near the sea- 

 coast. I have seen flocks of hundreds of individuals in the 

 marshes in Plymouth County, Mass., and have almost 

 always noticed that they were accompanied by Shore-larks 

 and Redpolls. They feed on seeds of various wild plants 



