300 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



According to the statements of those traders who have resided 

 near Hudson's Bay, the Snow Buntings are the earliest of their 

 migratory birds; appearing there about the llth of April, staying 

 about a month or five weeks, and proceeding farther north to breed. 

 They return again in September, stay till November, when the 

 severe frosts drive them southward." 



PLECTROPHANES LAPPONICUS. Selby. 

 The Lapland Longspur. 



Erriberiza lapponica, Audubon. Orn. Biog., IV. (1838) 472. 

 Plectrophanes lappvnicus, " Selby." Bon. List (1838). 



DESCRIPTION. 



First quill longest; legs black; head all round black, this extending as a semi- 

 circular patch to the upper part of breast; sides of lower neck and under parts 

 white, with black streaks on the sides, and spots -on the side of the breast ; a short 

 brownish-white streak back of the eye ; a broad chestnut collar on the back of the 

 neck; rest of upper parts brownish-yellow, streaked with dark-brown; outer tail 

 feathers white, except on the basal portion of the inner web. 



This species is very seldom seen in full spring plumage in the United States. In 

 perfect dress, the black of the throat probably extends further down over the breast. 

 In winter, the black is more or less concealed by whitish tips to the feathers beneath, 

 and by yellowish-brown on the crown. Some fall specimens, apparently females, 

 show no black whatever on the throat, which, with the under parts generally, are 

 dull-white, with a short black streak on each side of the throat. 



Length, about six and twenty-five one-hundredths inches ; wing, three and 

 ninety one-hundredths; tail, two and eight one-hundredths. 



This bird is found only as an extremely rare winter 

 visitor in New England. I have never known of more than 

 a dozen being taken here, and those were in scattered par- 

 ties of two or three in the winter of 1857. I know nothing 

 whatever of its habits, and can give no description, from my 

 own observation, of its nests and eggs. We are informed 

 by Dr. Richardson, that it breeds in the moist meadows on 

 the shores of the Arctic Sea. The nest is placed on a small 

 hillock, among moss and stones ; is composed externally 

 of the dry stems of grass, interwoven to a considerable 

 thickness ; and lined, very neatly and compactly, with deer's 

 hair. The eggs, usually seven, are pale ochre-yellow, 

 spotted with brown. 



