CHAPTER XXIII. 



The Snow Bunting. 



Emheriza nivalis, Lin. ; Ortolan de neige, Buf. 



Description and Chaeacter, — This very pretty and un- 

 common looking bird is known under various appellations ; 

 it is called the Tawny and Mountain Bunting, Snowflake, 

 Snow-fowl, and Oat-fowl ; and MacGillivray names it the 

 Snow Lark Bunting. 



The full length of an adult bird is 6-|-in. The beak is 

 straight, and compressed at the sides, yellow in colour, with 

 a dark tip ; but when kept in confinement it turns black. 

 In old birds, the head is white ; in a young male, it is 

 spotted with plain golden brown. The neck, face, throat, 

 belly, and sides are white ; the vent greyish white. The 

 shoulders and back are black, and the rump dark slate 

 colour. The feathers on the shoulder and rump are mar- 

 gined with pale brown, and those on the back with 

 greyish white. The first nine pen feathers of the wings are 

 white at the base, or roots, and crossed with a narrow 

 black band ; beyond this is a narrow white band, and the 

 outer portion (for nearly half their length) is black. 



The inner, or secondary, pen feathers, are white, excepting 

 the small covering feathers near the body ; these are black, 

 edged with pale brown. The tail is a mixture of black and 

 white, the extreme outside feathers being white, pointed with 

 black ; the centre feathers are white, with pale yellow margins. 

 The legs and feet are jet black. This bird frequently changes 

 its plumage ; when very old it becomes much whiter, and 



