THE LAPLAND BUNTING. 123 
Family—FRINGILLIDZ:. Subfamily—EMBERIZINA:. 
THE LAPLAND BUNTING 
Calcarius lapponicus, LANN. 
“7 NHABITS the greater part of the circumpolar regions, with the exception of 
Iceland—to which it is only an occasional straggler from Greenland—and 
Spitzbergen and Novaya Zemlya, whence it has not yet been recorded. It is only 
at considerable elevations, such as the Dovre-fjeld, in Norway, that it is found 
breeding to the south of the Arctic circle; but east of the North Cape it is 
common in Lapland, while in Northern Siberia it is extremely abundant, being, 
according to Mr. Seebohm, not only the commonest, but also the most widely 
distributed bird on the ¢undras. In Asia it migrates further southwards than in 
Europe, reaching to about 30° N. lat. in China; whereas it is rare in the south 
of Russia and in Northern Italy, and as yet unknown in Spain. In Central 
Europe its occurrences are accidental, but further north they are naturally more 
frequent, and are regular on Heligoland in autumn. In America this species 
breeds throughout the far north; wintering in South Carolina, Kansas, and 
Colorado.” (Howard Saunders, Manual of British Birds, pp. 213-214). 
To Great Britain this species is an occasional, though not very infrequent 
visitor; upwards of forty examples apparently having been obtained previous to 
1890, since Selby first recognized the bird, amongst some Larks forwarded to 
Leadenhall Market from Cambridgeshire, early in 1826. Since 18go0 this species 
has visited us more frequently. In October and November, 1892, J. H. Gurney 
stated that at least fifty-six were netted and shot in Norfolk. In the following 
year considerable numbers were seen on the Lincolnshire coast, a good many were 
recorded as having passed along the downs in February. In November of the 
same year a flock of from sixty to eighty was seen near Flamborough by Matthew 
Bailey, and later a flock of from a hundred to a hundred and twenty by J. Cordeaux. 
Finally, in the Zoologist for 1894, the Rev. H. A. Macpherson stated that in the 
southern counties a few had been taken annually for the past dozen years near 
Dover, but that in November, 1893, only three were caught near Brighton. 
The male in breeding-plumage has the head, including the throat, and the 
breast velvety-black; a broad white superciliary stripe extends backwards over the 
