SNOW BUNTING 281 



incessantly flitting across the interval to join the pio- 

 neer flock, until all are united. They are very restless, 

 running amid the weeds and continually changing their 

 ground. They will suddenly rise again a few seconds 

 after they have alighted, as if alarmed, but after a short 

 wheel settle close by. Flying from you, in some posi- 

 tions, you see only or chiefly the black part of their 

 bodies, and then, as they wheel, the white comes into 

 view, contrasted prettily with the former, and in all 

 together at the same time. Seen flying higher against a 

 cloudy sky, they look like large snowflakes. "When they 

 rise all together their note is like the rattling of nuts in 

 a bag, as if a whole binful were rolled from side to side. 

 They also utter from time to time — i. e., individuals 

 do — a clear rippling note, perhaps of alarm, or a call. 

 It is remarkable that their notes above described should 

 resemble the lesser redpoll's! Away goes this great 

 wheeling, rambling flock, rolling through the air, and 

 you cannot easily tell where they will settle. Suddenly 

 the pioneers (or a part not foremost) will change their 

 course when in full career, and when at length they 

 know it, the rushing flock on the other side will be 

 fetched about as it were with an undulating jerk, as in 

 the boys' game of snap-the-whip, and those that occupy 

 the place of the snapper are gradually off after their 

 leaders on the new tack. As far as I observe, they con- 

 fine themselves to upland, not alighting in the meadows. 

 Like a snow-storm they come rushing down from the 

 north. The extremities of the wings are black, while the 

 parts next their bodies are black [sic~]. They are unusu- 

 ally abundant now. 



