SNO W B UN TING. 329 



long, being a roving, restless bird. In these plentiful regions, 

 where more valuable game is abundant, they hold out no 

 temptation to the sportsman or hunter ; and except the few 

 caught by boys in snares, no other attention is paid to them. 

 They are, however, universally considered as the harbingers 

 of severe cold weather. How far westward they extend I 

 am unable to say. One of the most intelligent and expert 

 hunters who accompanied Captains Lewis and Clark on their 

 expedition to the Pacific Ocean, informs me that he has 

 no recollection of seeing these birds in any part of their 

 tour, not even among the bleak and snowy regions of the 

 Stony Mountains, though the little blue one was in abun- 

 dance. 



The snow bunting derives a considerable part of its food 

 from the seeds of certain aquatic plants, which may be one 

 reason for its preferring these remote northern countries, so 

 generally intersected with streams, ponds, lakes, and shallow 

 arms of the sea, that probably abound with such plants. In 

 passing down the Seneca river towards Lake Ontario, late in 

 the month of October, I was surprised by the appearance of a 

 large flock of these birds feeding on the surface of the water, 

 supported on the tops of a growth of weeds that rose from the 

 bottom, growing so close together that our boat could with 

 great difficulty make its way through them. They were run- 

 ning about with great activity ; and those I shot and examined 

 were filled, not only with the seeds of this plant, but with a 

 minute kind of shell-fish that adheres to the leaves. In these 

 kind of aquatic excursions they are doubtless greatly assisted 

 by the length of their hind heel and claws. I also observed a 

 few on Table Eock, above the Falls of Niagara, seemingly in 

 search of the same kind of food. 



According to the statements of those traders who have 

 resided near Hudson's Bay, the snow buntings are the earliest 

 of their migratory birds, appearing there about the 11th of 

 April, staying about a month or five weeks, and proceed- 

 ing farther north to breed. They return again in September, 



