56 LAPLAND l o n g s p ü r .
Adopted^asuj,a subgcnus, .and-. are almost incjined to-admjt^sSAri.
independent^ genu's,«-being .well- characterized; both by« form ’and
habits.*, XKhf; ^w,n ..species oi Plectrophanes, to which We %pply thp
name ^f5,Longspun, togethe^rath; the^iBuntingh are wellrdasjhr
Ignisjhetifrom t^^Einehe|j^^pheitfcmpp,er mandibfo,\ contracted
and narrower tffan ,the Io#br,vfib.eir palatine tuhseEC-le., &c. Fr#m
,^ e ;!-ty,pleial ■Emberizss/ti^i differ ^.em^feably by the length and
^raightngssfpl'fiheigilnnd nail, and the-form-O-f thekiwings,-which;
Owingtophse.first and seconitL^priinaraes being-iiongesjt?are?aeM-e?
In the tr,ue Buntings, therfkst-v quill is;sherjteEfthan the, secondhand
third, which are;longest,^This species-,’in all its changeable dresses;
may aWn«je*be known by-'hs -straight and vei|y. long; hind nail,
Which-is(ftwaoesas ■■long as the toe. The bill is - also sfcmngen and
longer.than in thej^therispecies:
The*Longspur.s are stripy,-Arctic birds,- only descending in
jthfe mosj^searW and snowy winters,-to less rigorous climates,' and
npy.efs’iC^be ^mper.ate: zorie_, except’-briefehgs. mountains. -Hence
they .may^wath the N e ate st propriety th ^ palled-Snow-birds. ■ They
foequenho^en countries; plains, and desert regions? never inhabiting
forest*“ They-run swiftly,.advancing.byrnuh^pS-Ve stepsE>Mke-the
Larks,.(which th^y-^esem’Mewin jhabits, as well as-in-the form of
thedr-.hind nail)-, and nob, by hopping, like* the ..Buntings«! ./The
conformation of tfeir wrogs .also gives thepr- superior powers'-of
flight *to their.ajUed genera, the Buntings., and- Finches.- Their
moult;- appears i0j$~ be? doubleji anjl notwithstanding Tfemminck’s
and', my .«ownstatement tovthegcontrary, they'difier much-in their/
giimrn^r'jrarid wintpr-plumag*.. * Owing ^tb' this*. the^species hav^
h d ^ ithoughtly^f^ multiplied||tbfefj|§Alfce
grj^entV and Snow-Bunting of Wilson. .
>J‘T ’Jb%lale LaplandvLong&pur in full breeding-,d£ess-, iis nearly,
«seven Inches -long, and twelve and a q uarter.in extent yjtble -bill’is!
.nearly h a lf an inc|>,: long^ y e n o j ^ b l a c k i s h ^ b ^ p o iA t r the irides
. a^fcwzelrhnd theffeet dusby.5vTthe;headds ithickly furnished with
:f e& t% ^ «Pie fcfr'epart of the Infeek, thro at,'arid
g&u#. bWh.; . f i f e hed<&df *WM&
^ b o ?^ ^ |e h ‘--fe6m f£h* bW p ^ t ^ e |W tskthe ey&, b k lfew h i& h it
* bpSQ^es ‘widely rie'siceliding’.Qn tfieBidagfifllP^e Bedfct&ntt&M.
roun^fh^KfeaK.t^^jbp belly and vehtWe whi^lfee*'flanks poste-
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ c k f e h , a tro a k sn t.^ fc a c k ^ d k .s c a p u la rs ard
teoWna^h blrick? -the-fevqtherstbfeM^,ski-rtMf with »Asty-; 5 the' smhllcl?
margined With whit^/the greater ebWerts
■mribgihfid.iwith^uifous, hnd whitest .tip, forming - twoiwhite Rands’
abr^^. thet. wings: tbe primariesjase blacfesK, (ed§%d.with |g |%
s^ondarje^Wn^rginatcdnVtip/dnsk-^eWgelKwAhru^tyWtEe'-Wihgs
whe.n^©^,feeach to three-fourths, Aeftaih -fdTheteib is *tWo and
^-half-inches i®| ] |$ lM *#h«r»fcMjfceS* an&of «a -blackish pilcfi- ■;
the,-ioutemfeatkcr^n-ieabh side^with^ whlte.'euneiform'^pbty; and
’^rebr.-ri%)st eritkely a WhtM
« P ^ m m /m m hTbehiqd nail is afi&Ssban i» h > ite ^
' ■ The a^ult feBaie is^omfewhat smaller tharitheiSate: Iri spring
she has'the tcqjbfl the head; .the: shoulders-, back, Shd W-ftfg^overts
brownish blacS/the,leathers* being edged withC rufety,; >the-.gtes4bf
th^head blackish; intermixed- with - rusty I over Slfebl^ws a
whitish line, as in the.-male-, tinged, with-rusty; the ’ririfeh^anli:
rrimp.'areib^Wnishi rusty, with 'smalPhlack'-spots^the tlkoaglfe
white, encireied'with broWh$ Bfenaainmg- inffpfr parts '
wings and tail -as dn: ,the'-pther s'ex;”
..fihn male.in,au^mn And wpt^lha's tlfe^ill brownish yellow^;
iridfeahnd f e q f^ ^ j is h . .Head hlacb,^ar^ed‘With small'spots
pf ^ s k f , auricul4 gpar|]y endr^e^wAth^acj^featheljE throat
y^llQWi^iwMt^-*^ty sta k ed « witHVoep blac® ^BBre-rifeck anc£
brea&t blaoh^misxeihVith^rayish whites the* line ^ ^ i n g through
the feyS down yellowish wMte, bpcqlning darker on the
«bre^il; l©wi|r sUr|ftcelrQin the breast white,, shotted on the flanks
Wo®,.