C. LAPPONICUS : LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 233 



LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 

 CENTROPHANES LAPPONICUS (Z.) Kaup. 



Chars. "Adult g : Whole head and throat jet black bordered with 

 buffy or 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 buffy or whitish that edges all the feathers ; below, whitish, 

 the breast and sides black-streaked ; wings dusky, the greater 

 coverts and inner secondaries edged with dull bay ; tail dusky, 

 with oblique white areas on the outer feathers ; bill yellowish, 

 tipped with black ; legs and feet black. Length, 6.00-6.50 ; wing, 

 3.25-3.50 ; tail, 2.50-2.75. Winter males show less black on the 

 head, and the cervical chestnut is duller; the 9 an ^ young 

 have no continuous black on the head, and the crown is streaked 

 like the back ; but there are traces of the cervical collar, whilst 

 the generic characters will prevent confusion with any of the 

 ordinary streaked Sparrows." (Coues.) 



This is a circumpolar species, like the Snow-flake, 

 occurring in New England under precisely the same 

 conditions that determine the presence of the latter. 

 The two species have similar habits, and are usually 

 found together ; but in most places the Lapland Long- 

 spur is so much rarer than the Snow Bunting as to be 

 considered quite a prize by the fortunate collector to 

 secure it. It is, however, common enough on the 

 Massachusetts coast in winter, especially among the 

 Ipswich sand-hills. 



In its Arctic summer home, the Longspur builds 

 under a tussock of grass a thick nest of mosses and 

 fine grasses, warmly lined with feathers, in which 

 four to six eggs are deposited. These measure about 

 0.80x0.62 in size, and are quite dark-colored, like 

 a Titlark's. 



