SNOW-BUNTING. 
EM HE HI Z A NIVALIS. 
In July 187G I made an attempt to reach the ground, on the summit of the high hills in the east of Inverness, 
where the Snow-Bunting is supposed to breed ; a dreadful storm of wind and rain, however, put a stop to our 
advance and rendered it an impossibility to reach the haunts of the birds. A short extract from my notes will 
give an account of the attempt Ave made : — 
July 4th. Having settled to search Ben Muich Dhui for Snow-Buntings, we decided on making an early 
start, and leaving the lodge at midnight avc drove to a bothy on the east side of the forest. Here four keepers 
and foresters were awaiting our arrival, and an immediate start was made for the high ground. The morning 
proved dull and gloomy and avc were well up the Braemorc Pass before it became fairly light. The weather 
then got worse and the wind increased, the mist and clouds rolled lower down the hills, AA'hile the rain drifted in 
blinding shoAvers, rendering it impossible for us to advance. For two hours avc sheltered among some large slabs 
of rock near the highest part of the Pass in hopes that the storm might moderate. At length, however, we 
came to the conclusion that it Avas quite useless to attempt to reach the high ground; added to which the 
position we noAv found ourselves in could scarcely be termed pleasant. The terrific gusts as they roared round 
the crags above us noAv and then dislodged stones and pieces of rock that came rolling down the side of the hill. 
Some of these dashed past us at no great distance just after we had quitted our shelter, and I must confess I 
felt greatly relieved when we emerged from the Pass; the unearthly howling and screeching of the wind among 
the jagged and pointed rocks Avas perfectly deafening, and the force of the blasts A\ r as such that it would have 
been the height of folly to have proceeded further. I Avas much surprised at the presence of a Wren far up on 
the bleak hill-side; during the lulls in the storm the little bird mounted on the wet and dripping rocks and 
sang as loudly as il: his lot Avas cast in pleasant places. When first the sound of his note was heard Ave Avere 
unable to make out what bird it could be, and a considerable time elapsed before avc caught sight of the 
diminutive songster strutting about on the summit of a large stone. Towards mid-day the sun broke through 
and the wind dropped a little, but it continued far too rough to renew our attempt to reach the top of the hills.” 
In the winter of 1868 I Avas staying at Tain, in the east of Boss-shire, for the punt-gunning on the Dornoch 
Firth, as Avell as Partridge- and Snipe-shooting on the Fendorn, the stretch of sandy flats and cultivated land 
that extends along the south shore for several miles. While returning one evening just after dark OA r er the 
rough ground covered with coarse grass on the Fendom, AA'e put up an immense number of Snow-Buntings. 
The birds rose almost at our feet and flitted in thousands Ioav down, the white on their Avings resembling the foam 
at sea AAdien the Avaves are seen breaking in the dusk. I conclude it is the young birds of the year that exhibit 
such a warm broAvn colouring on their first arrival in autumn; there are many different tints to be seen, and 
scarcely any will be found Avith exactly the same plumage. In December 1862 I noticed a very large flock on 
some marshy ground near Hunstanton, on the Norfolk coast; Avhen settled and spread out feeding they must 
have covered at least a couple of acres. Occasionally during winter I have knoAvn a great many taken by the 
