The arctic or Lapland snow-bird is not unfrequent in this State as a winter visitor, but we have never seen it, or heard of it, in this county. Probably when it comes thus far south, it seeks rather a milder climate than ours, for it has been seen even in Kentucky and Mississippi.
The white snow-bird, a pretty little creature, with much white in its plumage, is also, I believe, a stranger in our neighborhood, never having seen it or heard of it here. A few are said to breed in Massachusetts, and they are not rare in winter, in parts of this State. All these birds live much on the ground, and build their nests there, and for a very good reason, since in their proper native country, in arctic regions, trees are neither very common nor very tall. One of the north-western travellers, Capt. Lyon, once found a nest of this bird in a singular position; his party came accidentally upon several Indian graves: “Near the large grave was a third pile of stones, covering the body of a child, which was coiled up in the same manner. A snow-bunting had found its way through the loose stones which composed this little tomb, and its now forsaken, neatly-built nest, was found placed on the neck of the child.”
Monday, 26th.—Pleasant day. Long drive of six miles on the lake. The snow is all but gone on shore, though it still lies on the ice to the depth of several inches; it accumulates there more than upon the land, seldom thawing much, except in rainy weather. Two very large cracks cross the lake at present, about five miles from the village; the ice is upheaved at those points, forming a decided ridge, perhaps two feet in height; it will doubtless first give way in that direction. The broad, level field of
