BIRDS. 133 



In winter I found this bird frequenting the shelter of the spruces at tbe Lead of Norton Bay. 

 Under these circumstances they have almost precisely the habits of the Eufled Grouse at this 

 season, so it is evident that their preference varies greatly with the locality and individual birds' 

 tastes. 



Dall speaks of the curious spring migrations of this bird at Xulato, the birds leaving iu 

 immense flocks the middle of February and returning again in ]Marcb of each year. This is 

 probably due to tlie passage of the winter-resident birds at that place to the north, while the birds 

 which reside during winter in the south reach Nulato on their northward migration later iu the 



During the winter season these birds extend their range south to Sitka and Kadiak, whence 

 specimens in white plumage are in the National Museum collection. Whether these birds nest upon 

 Kadiak Island or not is unknown. Toward the end of March, as the small bare spots commence 

 to show on the tundra, the Eskimo say this will bring the Ptarmigan from the shelter of the inte- 

 rior valleys, and their observation i^roves true. At Saint Michaels these birds commence their 

 love making according to the character of the season — on some years by the 1st of Ai)ril their 

 loud notes of challenge arc heard; but khe recurrence of cold weather usually puts a temporary 

 stop to their proceedings. About the 5th or 15th of this month the lirst dark feathers commence 

 to appear about the heads and necks of the males. During some seasons the males make scarcely 

 a7iy progress in changing their plumage up to the middle of May, when I have frequently seen 

 them with only a trace of dark about the head aud neck. In the spring of 1878. the first males, 

 were heard calling on the i;6lh of Ai)ril, aud on April 27, iu 1879, the males were just commencing' 

 to moult, showing a few dark feathers ; but these seasons were unusually late. In autumn the 

 change frequently commences the last of September, and by the first of October it is well under 

 way, the winter moult being completed toward the end of this mouth. 



During an excursion taken from Saint Michaels on May 9, 1879, the males of these birds 

 were found extremely numerous all over the country in the vicinity of that place. The soft, 

 slushy snow covered most of the ground, leaving bare a few dark-brown and brownish-red moss- 

 covered spots and tussocks. Here the male Ptarmigans had stationed themselves, aud as we 

 passed, frequently within 15 to 20 yards of them, they would squat and watch us. Several 

 times I stopped and snow-balled them, and eveu then they would remain motionless, until a well- 

 aimed ball would strike so close as to cover the bird with snow. Frequently they dodged the 

 ball by running a few steps, and iu one instance I fired several shots from my rifle at one bird as 

 it crouched at some distance, but it did not start, although the balls struck each time close to it. 

 Not a call was heard during this evening, owing probably to the gloomy sky, but the birds are 

 ordinarily much less pugnacious at this time than iu the morning. On the next day they were 

 extremely common all along the coast from our starting-point to the mouth of the Yukon, frequent- 

 ing the hillocks borderiug the shore, and several times two males were seeu paying court to a 

 single female. 



As we turned into the mouth of the Pastolik River, close to the mouth of the Yukon, on the 

 evening of May 10, a female Ptarmigan' was seen coming down the river pursued by a Gyrfalcon, 

 which was following close behind, and gaining upon the terrified grouse with every wing-stroke. 

 Suddenly the grouse saw us, and swerving around, lit upon the opposite side of the sledge, not 5 

 feet from us, and ran quickly around to the side where a native and myself stood. The hawk, 

 eager in itsi>ursuit, did not notice us, until the grouse disappeared in its sudden change of course, 

 and the pursuer had barely time to check itself as he came swiftly on in a direct line with my head, 

 so close, in fact, that I iuvoluntarily dodged as the hawk suddenly extended its wings aud shot up 

 15 or 20 yards at a direct right angle to its former course and hovered there looking down upon us 

 in evident surprise. I hastened to remove my gun from the lashings which attached it to the sledge, 

 but before it could be taken out the hawk had assured itself of danger, and made good its escape. 

 The grouse took wing when the hawk disappeared, and made off in the opposite direction. The 

 grouse, in so suddenly changing its course aud placing itself under the protection of man, showed 

 a wonderful amount of quickness and intelligence. 



At the Yukon mouth, in the evening, May 24, these Ptarmigan were heard uttering their 

 hoarse notes all about. As we were sitting by the tent, my interpreter took my rifie, and going 



