114 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



EMBEEIZID^. 



SNOW-BUNTING. 



Plectrophanes nivalis. 



The Snow-Bunting visits the county almost every winter, 

 but is more abundant in very severe seasons. It arrives at 

 irregular periods depending on the weather, and sometimes 

 in very large flocks consisting of birds of both sexes and all 

 ages, though more generally, of birds of the year ; and often 

 flying so closely together that many may be killed at a shot. 

 It is not often met with at any distance inland, and is gene- 

 rally found on the beach, or on the flats which are uncovered 

 except at the highest tides, and sometimes on the unploughed 

 fields in the neighbourhood of the coast. 



On the 18th of June 1839, I saw, in the flesh, at Mr. 

 Swaysland's an adult male which had just been shot near 

 Brighton. The nest has not yet been found in England, but 

 has lately been obtained in Scotland ; the first nest found 

 vnth eggs was placed, according to Mr. John Young, in a 

 " scree," or stream of loose stones detached by weather from 

 the mountain-side. Hitherto there has been but a single 

 record of this nest, which was exhibited to the Linnean 

 Society, November 1st, 1888. The food of all the Buntings 

 is principally seeds of some kind ; this species is especially fond 

 of those of Suceda maritima, but on occasion will eat oats. 

 At p. 79,% s. s., of the ' Zoologist,' Mr. Button records a 

 splendid pair shot at the "Wish Tower," Eastbourne, on 

 April 14th, 1867, one of them being in full summer plumage, 



