2 
SNOW-BUNTING. 
clap-nets on the downs near Brighton, and still more by the drag-nets at night. Though such immense numbers 
make their way south in winter, the hill-tops in the Highlands are not entirely deserted at that season. When 
Ptamn 0 an shootin g on the hills in the north-east of Perthshire, in December 1867, 1 repeatedly found flocks on the 
higher slopes of the snow-clad mountains. I was rather amused at the description given by a forester in 
Inverness of the nature of the ground on the summit of the mountains to which this bird resorted. “ The 
liill-top,” he remarked, “ was a very vulgar place.” 
On the 29th of October, 1879, the weather being stormy at the time, there were large flocks of these birds 
on the denes near the harbour-mouth at Yarmouth ; occasionally during the following week 1 remarked they 
were intermixed with Shore-Larks. Many small flocks of Snow-Buntings were seen on the south denes near 
Yarmouth about the middle of February 1882 ; some were exceedingly light-coloured, with much white 
showing, and others very dark. Several specimens exhibiting various stages of plumage were shot in a sand- 
pit near the shore, between the town and the harbour-mouth. 
I have a few entries in my notes, taken while staying at Yarmouth in the autumn of 1872, referring to 
Snow-Buntings, and they are as follows : — 
“ September 26th. Weather rough, wind south-west. Three Snow-Buntings, the first I had met with this 
season, were shot on the south denes, and proved to be two males and a female. During the remainder of 
the time passed at Yarmouth, I seldom went along the denes without observing several along the side of the 
carriage-drive ; they generally showed in the greatest numbers in rough weather. 
“ October 31st. There was to-day a large addition to the flock of Snow-Buntings on the south denes ; 
most of the fresh arrivals were dark-coloured, being, I suppose, young birds of the year. 
“ November 1st. Steamed out of Yarmouth harbour, round the Barber Sands off Caister, which were, as 
usual, covered with Gulls ; I noticed a few dark-coloured birds among them, but, on approaching as close as 
we were able and using the glasses, it was ascertained that they were only Grey Crows. Larks, llooks, and a 
few small flocks of Snow-Buntings were the only birds I observed at sea making for land. 
“ November 5th. Steamed from Yarmouth as far south as Lowestoft, and afterwards back to Caister; no 
birds of passage seen with the exception of a few llooks and a small party of Snow-Buntings.” 
On the 12th of November I was again enabled to make observations on these birds. This was the second 
day of the terrible storm that, commencing on Monday the 11th of November, continued, with a lull of only a 
few hours on Friday morning, till Saturday the 16th ; then several of the larger fishing-boats left the harbour, 
but before they could get clear of the sands it came on to blow harder from the east-north-east and they were 
all forced to put back. 
“ The gale this morning was blowing from the east-north-east. Several flocks of fowl were still flying 
north, but the number of Dunlins that passed were not to be compared with those observed the previous 
day. The Snow-Buntings had received large additions, and the flock must have numbered between two and 
three hundred. Their favourite haunt and resting-ground seemed to be the carriage-drive along the shore from 
the town towards the harbour-mouth, though what food they could find there I was unable to discover.” 
