THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



41 



it is a common winter bird in the north of Britain, especially upon the east 

 coast, but in summer it is confined to the high mountains of Scotland, where 

 it has been observed by Messers. Nicholas Cooke, Harvie Brown, Wm. 

 Hamilton, Macgillivray, Col. Drummond-Hay and others, the actual points 

 of observation being the summit of Ben-na-muicdhui, Lochabar, Ben-y-Bhean, 

 Craig Maige, and Lochnagar, as well as Banffshire, Ross, Aberdeen, Inverness, 

 and by Dr. Saxby in the Shetland Isles. 



Abroad it has been found as far north as travellers have been able to pene- 

 trate. It is met with to the north of Spitsbergen, where few other passerine 

 birds are seen. In Iceland it is the commonest small bird, and is met with 

 in all seasons. It also breeds in the Faeroes, Greenland, and Norway, but 

 less commonly in Sweden. It is also known to breed in Lapland, North 

 Russia, Siberia, and across the whole of the most northern parts of the New 

 World. In winter it migrates southwards, and is then found in the South 

 of Canada, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, North of France, and North 

 Germany, and occasionally even more south. Mr. W. Oxenden Hammond 

 records [Zool. Feb. ; 81) the nest of a pair of Snow Buntings in a crevice 

 under the sill of a window on one of the highest and wildest passes of the 

 Maritime Alps," but it is possible that the birds observed by him were the 

 Snow Finch (Montifringilla nivalis). 



Nest, — The nest has several times been met with, and no doubt the birds 

 breed every season upon the higher Scotch mountains, Dr. Saxby found it 

 on several occasions in Shetland. It is placed among loose stones or rubbish, 

 and is rather loosely constructed of dry grass, lined with finer grass, roots, 

 moss, and feathers, generally those of the Pharmigan. 



Eggs. — From four to six, and sometimes more are laid, the ground being 

 greenish white, freckled, and sometimes streaked with red-brown, and lighter 

 purple shades, with sometimes a few blackish lines. The green tinted ground- 

 colour, with bright red and purple spots, render some of these eggs extremely 

 beautiful. 



HAGGERSTON 

 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The half-yearly meeting of this Society took place on December 11th, 

 1884. The proceedings commenced by the Secretary reading his report for 



