496 SNOW BUNTING. 



slender, of 18 half rings. The lateral muscles are very slender, as are 

 the sterno-tracheal. 



The intestine of this bird is proportionally wider than in any other 

 examined. Its oesophagus assimilates it to the Finches and Buntings ; 

 its mouth, tongue, and intestine, to the Swallows and Flycatchers. 



SNOW BUNTING. 

 Emberiza nivalis, Linn. 



PLATE CLXXXIX. VoL II. p. 515. 



According to my friend Dr T. M. Brewer, " great numbers oc- 

 curred in the winters of 1831-2-3, near Cambridge, in Massachu- 

 setts. Scarcely two birds were exactly alike in plumage. They fed 

 constantly upon the seeds of dried grasses and other plants, were easily 

 approached, and departed for the north early in spring." 



In this bird the form of the bill is intermediate between that of the 

 Buntings and that of the Finches. The palate is ascending, with two 

 ridges, the posterior aperture of the nares linear and papillate ; the 

 upper mandible beneath with a hard convex protuberance, and three 

 ridges proceeding forwards from it, with the lateral grooves large ; the 

 lower mandible deeply concave. The tongue is 5 twelfths long, sagit- 

 tate and papillate at the base, narrow, deep, channelled above, taper- 

 ing to a horny point, which is slightly slit. Width of mouth 5 twelfths. 

 CEsophagus 2 inches 7 twelfths long, its greatest width 3 twelfths. 

 Stomach a strong gizzard, 7 twelfths long, 8 twelfths broad ; the lateral 

 muscles very large and distinct, as are the tendons ; the epithelium 

 dense, tough, and rugous. In the stomach are small black seeds, and 

 a great quantity of particles of quartz. The intestine is 10|^ inches 

 long, from 2 twelfths to 1\ twelfth in width ; the cceca 2^ twelfths 

 long, and 1 twelfth wide, their distance from the extremity 1^ inch. 

 In another individual, the contents of the stomach are the same ; the 

 rectum 3 twelfths in width, gradually dilated at the end. 



The trachea is 1 inch lOi twelfths long, 1 twelfth in breadth ; its 

 rings about 70 ; the bronchial half rings about 15. The muscles are 

 as usual in this family, there being four distinct pairs of inferior laryn- 

 geal. The salivary glands are slender, and extend to behind the ar- 

 ticulation of the lower jaw. 



