. 270 LIFE-HISTORIES ,0F BIRDS 



move about upon the ground with nearly the 

 facility of Sturnella magna. 



Mr. Dall, describes this species as building on 

 the hillside and under the lee of a stone, in Alaska, 

 where it is sometimes very common, and, at other 

 times entirely absent. Richardson states that it 

 breeds on all ou rcontinental shores from Chester- 

 frelds's Inlet to Behring Strait, the most southerly 

 breeding place known to him being Southampton 

 Island. The nest is usually composed of dry 

 grass externally, and lined with a few feathers and 

 deer's hair. It is ordinarily placed in a creviced 

 rock, or in a loose pile of stones, or timbers. Nest- 

 breeding certainly takes place during the last of 

 June, or the begining of July, as a nest was dis- 

 covered by the last mentioned individual, July 22, 

 which contained four young Snow Birds; In this 

 instance the young were fed by both birds quite 

 frequently with various grubs. 



A nest with young birds is said to have been 

 taken by Kirk Boott, Esq., of Boston, In the sum- 

 mer of 1 834aniong the White Mountains, Avhich was 

 probably an accidental occurrence. The only au- 

 thenticated nest and eggs in the Smithsonian col- 

 lection were taken on the Artie coast east of Fort 

 Anderson by R. MacFarlane, Esq. This nest bears 

 the label, "Nest situated in a cave in a sand-bank." 

 It is built of wiry grass stems externally, and lined 

 with a few feathers. In slope it resembles a deep 

 saucer, and has an external and an internal 

 diameter of 3.75 and 3.00 inches respectively, with 



