WILLOW GROUS, OR LARGE PTARMIGAN. 



675 



those of the preceding species, of a muddy white, or in- 

 clining to pale rufous, covered and marbled with great 

 numbers of spots, of the color of clotted blood. 



It is somewhat remarkable that this species, still more 

 boreal than the Common Ptarmigan in Europe and Asia, 

 should constantly inhabit to the south of that species in 

 North America, where it seems, as it were, to have usurp- 

 ed its residence. Their general habits are very similar 

 to those of the preceding. Like them, they become grega- 

 rious at the setting in of winter, roaming after their food 

 in flocks of as many as 200 ; living then, and at most 

 seasons, on the tops, buds, and even seeds of the dwarf 

 willow, and hence called Willow Partridges. They 

 also subsist on most kinds of northern berries, and many 

 other kinds of buds and leaves, with the tops of the 

 heath, and the seeds of the birch. As food, this species 

 is preferred to the smaller Ptarmigan. 



The weight of this species is 24 ounces. The length 16| inches, 

 alar extent 25. Summer plumage. — Head, neck, back, scapulars, 

 middle tail-feathers and their coverts, of a rufous chesnut of different 

 shades, without spots on the fore part of the neck, but with black 

 zig-zag lines on the other parts, and black spots on the top of the 

 back ; inferior part of the breast, and all below, with the greater part 

 of the wing-coverts, and the quills, white. Lateral tail-feathers black, 

 tipped with whitish. Cicatrice over the eye scarlet. — In winter^ 

 with the exception of the lateral tail-feathers, they become wholly 

 white ; and for the purpose of giving additional warmth at this in- 

 clement season, the feathers, except the quills and tail, are doubled, 

 a downy feather being added to the base of each } a provision com- 

 mon also to the preceding species. 



