35S SNOW BUNTING. 



their fummer refidence ; from whence they overflow the more 

 fouthern countries in amazing multitudes, at the fetting-in of winter 

 in the frigid zone. In the winter of 1778-9, they came in fuch 

 multitudes into Eirja, one of the Orkney iflands, as to cover tke 

 whole barony ; yet, of all the numbers, hardly two agreed in 

 .colors. 

 North of Lapland, and perhaps Iceland, furnifhes the north of Britain with 



Britaino the fw arms that frequent thofe parts during winter, as low as the 



Cheviot hills, in lat. 55. 32. Their refting-places, the Feroe ifles, 

 Schetland, and the Orknies. The highlands of Scotland, in particular, 

 abound with them. Their flights are immenfe ; and they mingle fo 

 dofely together, in form of a ball, that the fowlers make great 

 havock among them. They arrive lean, foon become very fat, and 

 are delicious food. They either arrive in the highlands very early, 

 or a few breed there ; for I had one fhot for me at Invercaiild, the 

 ..4th of Augitft. But there is a certainty of their migration, for 

 -multitudes of them often fall, wearied with their paflage, on tlie 

 veflels that are failing through the Pent land Frith *. 



In their fummer drefs they are fometimes feen in the fouth of 

 England f, the climate not having feverity fufficient to affedl the 

 colors ; yet now and then a milk-white one appears, which is ufually 

 miftaken for a white Lark, 

 Russia. Rtiffia and Sibiria receive them, in their feverefeafon, annually, in 



amazing flocks, overflowing almofl: all Rujfia. They frequent the 

 villages, and yield a molt luxurious repaft. They vary there in- 

 finitely in their winter colors ; are pure white, fpeckled, and even 

 .quite brown ij;. This feems to be the influence of difference of age 

 more than of feafon. 

 ■Germany. Germany has alfo its fliare of them. In Auftria they are caught, 



and fed with millet, and afford the epicure a treat equal to that of 

 the Ortolan §. 



• Biftiop Poccckh Journal, MS. f Morton's Nurthamp. 427. % Bell's 



Travels, i. 198. § Kramer Anim. Juflr. '^']Z, 



Fringilla 



