SNOW BUNTING 
137 
and Russia, and the Arctic regions beyond them. 
But a small number of birds nest regularly on 
some of the highest Scotch mountains, as well as 
in the ShetJands, and there seems reason to believe 
that they are increasing. They nest in Britain 
on the highest stony slopes of the mountains ; the 
nest is described by Mr. Howard Saunders as 
being built of " dry grass and moss, lined with a 
few hairs and many feathers — especially those of 
the Ptarmigan." The eggs, four to six in number, 
are "greyish-white, spotted and blotched with 
brownish-red and purplish-black." The Snow 
Bunting varies to a remarkable degree in appear- 
ance, the young birds only gradually acquiring the 
adult plumage, which is chiefly dark brown or 
black above, with a large white patch on the wing, 
and the underparts white. A good-sized flock of 
these birds may contain a great number of difi^erent 
varieties of plumage, from the complete suit of 
mottled brown of the immature bird to the full 
adult markings. The amount of white thus varies 
very much in different individuals, but it is almost 
always sufficiently extensive and conspicuous to 
make the Snow Bunting easily recognisable. The 
young birds with no white on them were formerly 
believed to be a separate species, and called 
''Tawny Bunting." 
