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A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



CALCARIUS LAPPONICUS 



56. Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus (L.) THE LAPLAND 

 BUNTING. 



FKINGILLA LAPPONICA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 180 (1758 

 Lapland). 



Plectrophanes lapponicus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, n, p. 15 ; Calcarius lap- 

 ponicus (Linnaeus), Saunders, p. 223. 



Lapland Bunting (Calcarius I. lapponicus). <? spring. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male. Winter. Crown black almost entirely 

 concealed by long buff and brown tips to the feathers ; broad band 

 at back of neck extending on to sides of neck chestnut, much 

 concealed by buff tips ; mantle, scapulars, back, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts streaked black and chestnut-brown, feathers broadly 

 edged and tipped sandy and whitish-buff ; lores whitish ; stripe 

 over and behind eye sandy-buff ; ear-coverts same but partly 

 marked black ; between ear-coverts and chestnut band a buffish- 

 white patch ; cheeks, indistinct malar stripes and lower throat 

 black, much concealed by buffish-white tips to feathers ; chin, 

 centre of throat, breast, belly and under tail-coverts buffish-white ; 

 flanks heavily streaked black and chestnut-brown ; axillaries 

 white ; tail-feathers black-brown edged buff, outer pair with most 

 of outer web buffish-white and large wedged-shaped buffish-white 

 mark on inner web, penultimate pair with smaller buffish-white 

 wedge on inner web ; primaries and secondaries black-brown 

 narrowly edged buff or whitish-buff on outer and inner webs, inner 

 secondaries broadly edged chestnut-brown on outer webs and 

 tipped whitish ; greater coverts same but with more distinct 

 white tips ; median coverts more buff or buffish-white less chestnut ; 

 lesser coverts tipped and edged buff. This plumage is acquired 

 by complete moult in August. Summer. A moult confined to 

 lores, fore-head, ear-coverts, chin and upper throat takes place 

 in April, new feathers of these parts being jet-black. Abrasion of 

 pale tips of feathers gradually makes rest of crown and base of 

 throat uniform black ; band at back of neck uniform bright 

 orange-chestnut ; mantle, back and rump much darker black 



