130 BRITISH BIRDS. 



possess. Their principal haunts during their sojourn in this country are 

 the lands near the sea; they do not usually wander far from the coast, 

 and are rarely seen inland save when an exceptionally sharp or long 

 spell of stormy weather drives them to more sheltered localities. In their 

 habits they much resemble Bramblings, and are often seen on stubbles and 

 weedy pastures. They fly in very compact flocks, and often wheel and 

 turn about with great rapidity before they alight. They cannot be called 

 very shy birds, but are somewhat wary, and soon become wild if repeatedly 

 fired at. Their food at this season is largely composed of grass-seeds ; and 

 when these are difficult to obtain (as, for instance, in heavy snows) they 

 will even visit the stackyards or pick up a scanty sustenance from the 

 droppings on the roads. In this country the Snow-Bunting is very erratic 

 in its appearance, and is incessantly changing its ground, after the manner 

 of a true gipsy migrant. The frost brings them to the sheltered districts ; 

 but the first thaw disperses them again. 



The adult male Snow-Bunting in full breeding-plumage is black and 

 white ; the mantle, scapulars, innermost secondaries, the terminal halt' of 

 the primaries, the four centre tail-feathers, most of the next, and the tips 

 of the three outside feathers on each side are deep black ; all the rest of 

 the plumage is snowy white. Bill black;' legs, , toes, and claws black; 

 irides hazel. The adult female in breeding-plumage differs from the male 

 in having the black replaced by dark brown, which extends also onto the 

 head and wing- coverts, and in having traces of the pale edges still left on 

 all the dark feathers. The soft parts are similar to the male. After the 

 autumn moult every feather on the upper parts and the feathers of the 

 breast and flanks have broad edgings of chestnut-brown, and the bill 

 changes to orange-yellow, darker at the tip. The young in first plumage 

 is an entirely different-looking bird. The wings and tail closely resemble 

 the adult in autumn plumage ; but all the small feathers are greyish brown, 

 paler on the belly and under tail- coverts, and all except those on the belly 

 and under tail-coverts have obscure dark centres. In spite of numerous 

 assertions to the contrary, there does not appear to be any difference 

 between adult birds and birds of the year. 



