100 BRITISH BIRDS' EGGS, 



taller herbaceous plants ; it consists of straw, dried grass, 

 moss, and roots,, lined with fine grass or hair. The eggs are 

 four or five, of a pinkish-grey or brown tint, boldly streaked 

 and spotted with dark purple-brown. (PL VII. fig. 41.) 



THE SNOW BUNTING. Plectrophanes nivalis. Generally 

 speaking, this species must be regarded as a winter visitor 

 to the British Islands, at which season even few of them 

 reach the southern coasts of England. A few scattered 

 pairs of them may breed, Sir W. Jardine supposes, upon 

 the higher mountain-ranges of Scotland, but we have not 

 met with any recorded instance in which the eggs have been 

 obtained from such situations. They usually retire further 

 to the north to breed, and their eggs have been obtained or 

 their nests discovered in Iceland and many other northern 

 regions. The nests are described as placed among stones 

 or in crevices of rocks, and consisting of dry grass lined 

 with hair or feathers. Mr. Hewitson says, " The eggs are 

 from four to six in number, and are subject to great variety; 

 some are like those of the tribe of birds to which it belongs, 

 whilst others are exactly like those of the Green Linnet. 

 Mr. Hancock, of Newcastle, has a variety thickly marked 

 all over with spots of a reddish and purple hue, and much 

 resembling eggs of the Spotted ELycatcher." 



