of the Arctic coasts and islands of America furnished almost
all the information possessed by naturalists concerning its
nidification. But here again the southern limit of its
breeding-range seems to be unknown. Audubon mentions
a nest found on the White Mountains of New Hampshire,
but from the description we may almost safely pronounce
that it did not belong to this species. Mr. Allen however,
on the authority of Mr. C. W. Bennett, states that a pair
reared their young in 1862 at Springfield in Massachusetts.
Still Mr. Reeks believes that the Snow-Bunting can hardly
breed in Newfoundland, where one would expect that it
should, though he saw many there in June 1868. In Greenland
it is very abundant and breeds generally throughout
the country, for it was even observed by Dr. Pansch to be
the commonest land-bird on its seldom-visited east coast.
As already intimated on the approach of autumn the
Snow-Bunting migrates southward from most of its breeding
quarters. In Iceland indeed it is found all the year
round, though we may presume that those which remain
there are comparatively few, and large flocks visit the Faroes
in winter-time, but in Norway at that season it rarely occurs
in the most northern districts. From Tromso, however,
southward it frequents the coast-region in countless numbers.
These countries supply most of the examples which
regularly resort to our own islands and in some years
appear in vast flights. The beginning or middle of October
is usually the time of their arrival, but a few stragglers are
occasionally seen in September*, and though severe weather
generally drives them further to the southward, in many
localities they abide with us till the end of March or beginning
of April. During their stay with us the greater
number affect rough ground or open fields near the sea-
coast, hut from time to time small parties occur far inland,
so that there is hardly a county in the three kingdoms in
The eailiest date for England is perhaps Sept. 16th, 1875, on the Lincolnshire
coast, of which Mr. Cordeaux has informed the Editor; but in the South-west of
Scotland Capt. Kennedy has observed it in July and August (Zool. s.s. p. 3914).
These birds may have been bred in Great Britain.
which the species is not known to have been observed—its
appearance in the south of both England and Ireland being,
however, far less frequent and regular than in the north.
Elevated moors and uplands generally are, almost equally
with the localities just named, a favourite resort, and when
these are covered with snow the birds descend to the lower
grounds where larger supplies of food are to he obtained*
“ Their call-note is pleasing,” remarks Selby, “ and often
repeated during their flight, which is always in a very
compact body ; and frequently before settling on the ground,
they make sudden whirls, coming almost in collision with
each other, at which time a peculiar note is produced.” So
close indeed do they fly that one of Thomson’s correspondents
states that he had killed thirty at a single shot, and
they crowd together as much when they alight, so that Mr.
Lubbock likens the appearance of a flock at rest to “ a
variegated carpet.” Saxby writes “ Seen against a dark hillside
or a lowering sky, a flock of these birds presents an
exceedingly beautiful appearance, and it may then be seen
how aptly the term ‘ Snow-flake ’ has been applied to the
species. I am acquainted with no more pleasing combination
of sight and sound than that afforded when a cloud of
these birds, hacked by a dark grey sky, descends as it were
in a shower to the ground, to the music of their own sweet
tinkling notes.” Their food in winter seems to he chiefly
grass-seeds, so long as these are forthcoming, hut on the
sea-coast near the Humber, it consists almost exclusively of
the seeds of Schoberia or Suceda maritima, as mentioned by
Mr. Cordeaux, and the Editor is able to state the same fact
as regards the west of England from examples sent him by
Mr. Cecil Smith and examined by Mr. Hiern. On occasion
they will also eat corn—especially oats. Thompson states
that once in the north of Ireland they did great harm by
picking the sown wheat from the ridges, and Dr. Gordon
informs the Editor that they yearly do considerable damage
in this way on the shore of the Moray Firth. In America
Wilson found them, in October, feeding not only on the seeds
of water-plants but on the shelled mollusks which adhered