128 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGs. 
This bird has received many trivial names, such as—The Lesser Pied Mountain 
Finch, The Snow-bird from Hudson’s Bay, The Tawny Bunting, The Mountain 
Bunting, The Lorrain Bunting; but its prettiest name (and that by which it is 
almost as well known as Snow-Bunting) is Snow-flake. 
Seebohm writes respecting the habits of this bird as follows:—‘‘ The flight of 
the Snow-Bunting is peculiar, and is something like that of a butterfly, as if the 
bird altered its mind every few seconds as to which direction it wished to take. 
It can scarcely be called an undulating flight. The bird certainly does rest its 
wings every few seconds; but either they are expanded when at rest, or they are 
rested for so short a time that the plane of flight is not sufficiently altered to 
warrant its being called undulating. The Snow-Bunting is almost entirely a 
ground-feeder, and is consequently continually seen on the ground. These birds 
run along the snow with the celerity of a Wagtail on a sand-bank; but they can 
hop as easily as a Sparrow, and I have very often seen them do so. The idea 
that they seldom or never perch on trees is a mistake, which has no doubt arisen 
from the circumstance that on the steppes, where they delight to winter, and on 
the tundra, where they breed, there are no trees. In the valley of the Petchora 
we had abundant opportunity of seeing them in trees.” (Hist. Brit. Birds, Vol. II, 
pp. 127-128). 
Lord Lilford observes :—‘‘ In the few instances in which, * * * *, we met 
with this bird in the highlands of Inverness-shire, we found it exceedingly tame, 
running about within a few yards of us, and feeding on the seeds of various 
grasses which grew by the burn-sides: in one instance the bird was so confiding 
that I nearly caught it with my cap; but this was no doubt caused by the fact 
that a Merlin was hunting over the moss at the moment when the ‘ Snow-flake,’ 
as this bird is often called, fluttered up at our feet. The call-note of this species 
is pleasing and musical, and the male has an agreeable song, which, however, I 
have only heard from a caged bird. In captivity the Snow-Bunting will eat 
almost any sort of seed, and generally dies of plethora unless strictly dieted.” 
(Birds of Northamptonshire, Vol. I, pp. 171-172). 
Mr. Saxby speaking of them in Shetland, says:—‘‘ Seen against a dark hill- 
side or a lowering sky, a flock of these birds presents an exceedingly beautiful 
appearance, and it may then be seen how aptly the term ‘“‘ Snow-flake”’ has been 
applied to the species. I am acquainted with no more pleasing combination of 
sight and sound than that afforded when a number of these birds, backed by a 
dark grey sky, drop as it were in a shower to the ground, to the music of their 
own sweet tinkling notes.’ (Zoologist, p. 9484). 
The nidification of the Snow-Bunting is late; most nests being apparently 
