Snow-Bunting. INSESS. PLECTROPHANES. 281 



may be added, that, amongst the numbers I have killed, re- 

 gular gradations of change from one state to the other have 

 repeatedly occurred. 



These birds generally arrive in the upland or mountainous Periodical 

 districts about the middle or latter part of October in large ^^^^^""'* 

 flocks, which seem chiefly to consist of the young of the year 

 (or Mountain- Buntings), and of females or young males 

 (the Taiisny Buntings), with a few adult males intermixed, 

 which, at this period, having scarcely acquired their winter's 

 livery, are in consequence nearer to the state of the Tawny 

 plumage. Afterwards, if the season should be severe, small 

 flocks are seen, principally consisting of adult male birds, in 

 their winter's dress, but never in such numbers as are those 

 in the two first-mentioned states. It appears to me, that the 

 same causes which operate upon the Chaffinches in the north- 

 ern parts of Britain, leading to a separation of the sexes, and 

 a farther equatorial movement of the females, also act upon 

 the species now under consideration; and which would satis- 

 factorily account for the circumstance of the Tawny and 

 Mountain-Bunting having been met with at various times in 

 the south of England, but the Snow-Flake very rarely. 



As the severity of the winter increases, they leave the Food. 

 heaths, where they have fed upon the seeds of various grasses, 

 and, descending to the lower grounds, frequent the oat- 

 stubbles ; and, if the snow lies deep, they approximate to 

 the coasts, where the influence of the sea-breeze soon expo- 

 ses a sufficient breadth of ground to afford them subsistence. 

 Their call-note is pleasing, and often repeated during their 

 flight, which is always in a very compact body ; and fre- 

 quently, before settling on the ground, they make sudden 

 wheels, coming almost in collision with each other, at which 

 time a peculiar guttural note is produced. They run with 

 ease and celerity, like the Lark genus, and never perch on 

 trees. 



They leave us on the first approach of spring for more 

 northern regions, and advance by degrees within the Arctic 



