SNOW FINCH. 
tlie sublimity of such a solitude creates M'ithiu his 
miud — he is charmed and delighted by the chirp or 
the flutter of this lonely denizen of the Alps, which 
proclaims to him by its presence there — by its adapta- 
tion to its existence — by its distinct individuality — that 
it had a special creation and a special position assigned 
to it in the great scheme of nature. 
The nest of the Snow Finch is placed on the rocks, 
between stones, in fissures of the rocks, or in holes, 
as well as in the balconies and under the roofs of the 
hospitals of the great St. Bernard and the Simplon. 
It begins to build in May, and' has probably only 
one brood in the year. The nest is made of dry 
grass, stalks, and moss, and lined inside with feathers 
or hairs. It contains from four to five eggs, which 
are very similar to those of other Finches. The ground- 
colour is bright greenish, with ashy grey and dark 
green or brown irregular spots and dots. 
The young are fed upon insects, and are taken off 
into the snow, even to the highest regions, by the old 
birds. 
The male in breeding plumage has the top of the 
head and neck of an ashy colour, running into bluish; 
back and scapularies brown, shaded with russet on the 
borders of the feathers; upper tail coverts partly white 
and partly black, with their edges russet; the inferior 
parts are white, washed with ash on the crop and 
neck, with a large black spot on the throat; abdomen 
white; under tail coverts white, with some brown spots 
at their extremity. Wings black, with a large white 
longitudinal band formed by the wing coverts and the 
greatest part of the secondary quills; the primaries 
bordered on the outside, and tipped with russet grey; 
the two middle tail feathers black, bordered with 
VOL. III. 
R 
