SIBERIA IN EUROPE. 



CHAP. V. 



The commonest bird at this season of the year in the 

 streets of Ust-Zylma is undoubtedly the snow-bunting.* 

 We were told that they arrived about the 1st of April. In 

 spite of its abundance we could not help looking upon it 

 with all the interest attaching to a rare bird. The brilliant 

 contrast of the black and white on the plumage of these 

 birds, then rapidly assuming their summer dress, was espe- 

 cially beautiful during flight. The flight itself is peculiar, 

 somewhat like that of a butterfly, as if it altered its mind 

 every few seconds, as to which direction it would take. It can 

 scarcely be called an undulating flight. The bird certainly 

 does rest its wings every few seconds, but either they are 

 expanded when at rest, or they are rested for so short a time, 

 that the plane of flight is not sufficiently altered to warrant 

 its being called undulatory. The snow-buntings in Ust-Zylma 

 were principally in flocks, but now and then we saw a couple 

 of birds together which seemed to have paired, and occa- 

 sionally, when the sun was hotter than usual, a solitary snow- 

 bunting might be seen perched upon a rail attempting to 

 sing, but we never heard them sing on the wing. Unfor- 



* The snow-bunting (Plectrophanes 

 nivalis, Linn.) is a circumpolar bird, 

 breeding principally on the tundras of 

 the Arctic regions beyond the limit of 

 forest growth. It has been known to 

 breed in Scotland, but is principally 

 met with in the British Islands during 

 hard winters. The snow-bunting is 

 one of those irregular migrants which 

 are driven southwards in severe seasons 

 in larger or smaller flocks to Central 



Europe, South Siberia, North China, 

 Japan, and the northern states of 

 America. In the valley of the Pet- 

 chora we did not find them breeding 

 until we reached latitude 68|. These 

 birds seem to lead a roving gipsy life 

 during winter, perpetually trying to 

 migrate northwards with every appear- 

 ance of milder weather, and perpetually 

 driven southwards with each recurring 

 frost. 



