164 
BEAUTIFUL BIEDS. 
the Polar sea — to the extreme latitude that our navi- 
gators have as yet visited. Countless thousands of 
them are found on the ice near Spitzhergen ; and 
there are numbers also in Grreenland. They appear, 
indeed, to make the countries within the whole Ai’ctic 
cii’cle their summer residence. 
“ The Snow Bunting,” says Wilson, “ derives a con- 
siderable part of its food from the seeds of certain 
aquatic plants, which may he one reason for its pre- 
ferring these remote northern countries, so generally 
interspersed vltli streams, ponds, lakes, and shallow 
arms of the sea, and probably abound with such 
plants. In passing down the Seneca river, towards 
Lake Ontario, late in the month of October,” continues 
Wilson, “ I was surprised by the appearance of a large 
flock of these birds feeding on the surface of the water, 
supported on the tops of a growth of weeds that rose 
from the bottom, growing so close together that our 
boat could with great difficulty make way through 
them. Tliey were running about with great actmty ; 
and those I shot and examined were filled, not only 
with the seeds of this plant, hut with a minute kind of 
shell-fish that adhered to the leaves. In these kinds of 
aquatic excursions they are doubtless greatly assisted 
by the length of their hind heel and their claws.” * 
In size the Snow Buntings resemble the Larks ; and 
they are caught in great numbers by the Laplanders 
in hair springs, their flesh being exceedingly delicate. 
Tlie female builds in the crevices of rocks, construct- 
ing a nest of grass and feathers, lined with the hair and 
wool of the Arctic fox, or other quadruped, and lays 
* American Ornithology. 
