104 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
but on Monday the snow was aU gone, and they seemed to 
have aU scattered over the hills, in pairs often, and in small 
flocks occasionally." In February, 1897, it was said that 
the species was " more numerous towards the shore and con- 
tiguous land, having apparently been driven down from the 
hills by the prevalence of snow."* A specimen obtamed 
near RuthweU on January 19th, 1907, is now in the TuUie 
House Museum, Carhsle. 
The Snow-Bunting usually appears late in October, or 
early in November, though in 1902 an adult male was recorded 
from Glencaple on September 20th.t By April they have 
usually departed, but Dr. Anstruther Davidson states 
that he has seen them at Wanlockhead as late as May^ ; 
and it is recorded that "In the south-westof Scotland Captam 
Kennedy has observed them in July and August. (Zoologist, 
1874, p. 3914.) These birds may have been bred m Great 
Britain."§ The late Captain Alexander Clark Kennedy's 
observations were made near his home, Knockgray m 
Kirkcudbrightshire, contiguous to the north-western boun- 
dary of Dumfriesshire. 
" Mabie Moss " draws attention to the good these birds 
do in early spring by taking the larv(B of the antler-moth 
• (Charceas graminis), which is so injurious to hiU-pastures.|| 
The Snow-Bunting nests on the Cairngorm Mountains, 
on Ben Nevis, and on some of the higher ranges in Scotland. 
It breeds in the Arctic regions generaUy, and m winter 
migrates south, reaching the countries bordering the 
Mediterranean; and in the western hemisphere, as tar 
as Georgia. , . i ^.' 
This species has never yet been detected as nesting 
within the county, but such late dates of its occurrence 
locaUy, as those given above, seem promising. 
* Dumfries Courier and Herald, February 8th, 1897. 
t Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1903, p. 147. 
X Hist. Sanquhar, p. 28. 
§ Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, 4th ed.. Vol. II., p. 6. 
II Dumfries Courier and Herald, June 28th, 1894. 
