SNOW BUNTING. 



37 



mountains, capped with perpetual snow, representing not very 

 remotely the Arctic regions, in which these birds chiefly de- 

 light. 



Few and straggling flocks of the Snow Bunting penetrate 

 still further into England, and are seen in winter sparingly in 

 the eastern counties. The severe spring of 1830 brought 

 numbers as far south as Surrey ; and they have also been ob- 

 served in most of the counties that extend along the southern 

 coast. 



The nest of this species is built upon the ground, com- 

 posed of grass-stalks, and lined with the hair of animals, and 

 a few feathers ; it is partially sheltered by being placed 

 usually among loose stones, rocks, or drift timber. The eggs 

 are bluish-white, with a zone of lavender and dusky spots 

 round the larger end. They are roundish and blunt in form, 

 but have no other resemblance in general to those of the 

 Emberiza family. 



The entire length of this species is six inches and three- 

 quarters. The wing measures from the carpus to the tip 

 four inches four lines ; and the first quill-feather is the longest 

 in the wing. The beak measures four lines to the forehead ; 

 the tarsi are ten lines in length ; the expanse of the foot an 

 inch and a half. 



The male in perfect summer-plumage, in which it is em- 

 phatically styled the Snow Bunting, is black and white, dis- 

 posed as follows ; the head, neck, coverts of the wings, lower 

 part of the back, and all the under parts pure white ; the 

 back and scapulars are black, also the bastard wings ; the 

 quills are black, edged with white ; the three external feathers 

 of the tail are white, with a portion of black towards the tip, 

 the rest black, with a border of white along the outer web. 

 The iris is chestnut brown ; the beak black at the tip, yellow 

 at the base ; the legs and feet black. This is also the 

 plumage of the female in summer. 



