342 



SNOW BUNTING. 



ries pure white ; greater and smaller coverts, quite 

 up to the ridge of the* wing, white : the three 

 outer feathers of the tail white, except a small 

 spot of black on the exterior web of the first, and 

 the points of the shafts of the two others ; the rest 

 are more or less black, margined, and tipped with 

 white : legs, toes, and claws, black ; the hinder 

 claw slightly hooked." 



Dr. Latham mentions several varieties of this 

 bird : one has the whole of the white parts tinged 

 with yellow, and the throat and fore-part of the 

 neck sprinkled with small brown spots : another 

 has the whole of the under parts black : and the 

 last has a reddish beak : irides, head, throat, and 

 neck, white ; the latter with three circles, the 

 upper one lead-coloured, the next white, and the 

 lowest blue : rest of the body reddish brown, mixed 

 with greenish yellow : on the breast a blueish den- 

 ticulated mark, inclining towards the belly : wing- 

 coverts and quills white, varied with greenish 

 yellow and black : the outermost tail-feather but 

 one black ; the rest of the tail white : legs and 

 claws flesh-colour. 



This hardy bird is an inhabitant of the moun- 

 tains of Spitzbergen, Greenland, Lapland, Hud- 

 son's Bay, and other cold northern countries : in 

 the Highlands of Scotland it is said to be extremely 

 abundant, and is called Snow/take, as it appears in 

 immense flocks in the snowy season, and is sup- 

 posed to be the harbinger of severe weather, which 

 drives it from its usual haunts. In America it ad- 

 vances no farther to the south than Nova Scotia, 



