THE ROCK PTARMIGAN. 



205 



gan, is found in the Rocky Mountains, in Greenland, 

 Labrador, Norway, and Sweden. The plumage of 

 this bird is very beautiful, and we have had occasion 

 in another chapter to notice the singular change 

 which it undergoes from one season to another. Dur- 



Rock Ptarmigan. 



ing Winter that of the male is of a snowy whiteness, 

 with the exception of a broad band of black extend- 

 ing from the base of the bill to a short distance be- 

 hind the eye, and the feathers of the tail, which are 

 black. As Summer advances the white changes into 

 a mixture of black, reddish-yellow, and white, beau- 

 tifully varied, and marked with bars, spots, and bands 

 of different shades. The female differs but little 

 from the male, in Summer, the markings being per- 

 haps a little less distinct. 



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