BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



35 



Snow ttunting. 



THE Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis, Linnaeus) is 

 mainly a winter visitor to the British Isles, but instances 

 are recorded of its having nested on some of the Scottish 

 mountains. It is a summer visitant to the Arctic Regions, 

 and migrates southwards in the autumn through most of 

 the northern countries in Europe, Asia, and North America. 

 The adult male in summer has the head, neck, upper wing- 

 coverts, secondaries, and under parts, white ; back and 

 scapulars, black, the back on lower part usually mottled 

 with white ; primaries and tertiaries, black ; six central tail- 

 feathers, black ; remainder, white ; irides, brown ; bill, legs, 

 and feet, black. Length, about six inches. 



