BUNTINGS. 
407 
mounds or tussocks abounding on the marshy parts of the tundra, and is composed 
of dry grass and roots, and profusely lined with feathers. The eggs vary from 
pale grey to pale brown in ground-colour, and are streaked with dark brown with 
underlying blotches of brown. Nests of this species found in Norway were built 
of dry grass and lined with feathers; one in particular being lined with the 
feathers of a snipe, and thus having an unusually pretty appearance. The newly- 
hatched young are said to be clothed with dark down. The song of this bunting, 
which is sweet and musical, is usually poured forth when the bird is in the air, 
LAPLAND BUNTING (f nat. size). 
soaring like a lark, and is continued until it alights on some grassy knoll or 
stunted bush. Oddly enough, the female has almost as rich a song as the male. 
Formerly the Lapland bunting rarely straggled so far westwards as the British 
Isles during its autumnal migration, but nowadays it not only breeds nearer than 
it used to do, but small numbers of this bird visit the southern shores of Great 
Britain yearly. Before 1892 the Lapland bunting had been captured most 
frequently in Kent, more particularly near Dover; but in the autumn of that 
year great numbers visited Eastern and Southern England; the first arrivals being 
observed in Norfolk during September, and these being soon after followed by 
large flocks. Numbers were also obtained during the winter of 1892-3 on the 
downs near Brighton; and the species has occurred in equal abundance in 
Northumberland. Lapland buntings, according to Mr. Gurney, become tame 
