SNOW FINCH. \1o 



the sublimity of such a solitude creates within his 

 mind — he is charmed and delighted by the chirp or 

 the nutter 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 



