232 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



GENUS PLECTROPHENAX STEJNEGER. 

 Plectrophenax nivalis (LINN.). 



Snowflake ; Snow Bunting ; White Snow-bird. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 94). 



Length about 7 inches ; extent about 12^ ; legs black. 



* Adult in winter plumage. Bill brownish-yellow, darker at point; upper parts 

 generally brownish and blackish ; central tail leathers and most of the primaries for 

 about half their length towards ends, blackish ; under surface of wings, most of sec- 

 ondaries, and lateral tail feathers chiefly white. Under parts chiefly white, sides of 

 head and chest are more or less distinctly marked with rusty. The female is smaller 

 than male and has less white on wing. 



Habitat. Northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the Arctic re- 

 gions ; in North America, south in winter into the northern United States, irregu- 

 larly to Georgia, southern Illinois and Kansas. 



This beautiful bird, readily recognized by its white and rusty plum 

 age occurs in Pennsylvania only as an occasional winter visitant, except 

 in th^ region about Lake Erie, where Mr. Sennett, and other observers 

 assure me it is found as a regular winter sojourner. In 1889, Mr. Geo. 

 Russell, of Erie city, killed one of these birds as early as the 12th of 

 October, at the bay, where I observed this species in nocks of two hun- 

 dred or more, in November and December of the same year. When 

 noted in the other parts of the state Snowflakes are usually seen 

 in flocks, which sometimes contain one, two or three hundred each. 

 The Snow Bunting, during its stay in this region, subsists mainly on 

 seeds of various weeds, grasses, etc., which it finds in fields and meadows. 



GENUS CALCARIUS BECHSTEIN. 

 Calcarius lapponicus (LiNN.). 



Lapland Longspur. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Bill moderate ; hind claw straightish with its digit longer than the middle toe and 

 claw. 



Adult male. Head and throat jet black, bordered with buffyor whitish, which 

 forms a postocular line separating the black of the crown from that of the sides of 

 the head ; a broad chestnut cervical collar ; upper parts in general blackish, streaked 

 with butty or whitish on edges of all the feathers ; below whitish, the breast and 

 sides streaked with black ; wings dusky, the greater coverts and inner secondaries 

 edged with dull bay ; tail, dusky, with an oblique white area on the outer feathers ; 

 bill yellowish, tipped with black ; legs and feet black. Winter, males show less 

 black on head and the cervical chestnut duller ; the female and young have no con- 

 tinuous black on head, and the crown is streaked like the back, and there are faint 

 traces of the cervical collar. Length about 6^ ; extent about 11^ inches. Coues. 



* In summer or breeding dress the adults, particularly the males, are pure white, the back, wings and tail 

 variegated with black. Bill black. The female Is quite similar, but has a little more brownish. 



