302 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



McKintosh's keeper, in my expedition after them. 

 They were on a mountain called Ben Screel, which 

 rises up from Loch Hourn, in the Sound of Sleat, 

 to the height of some 3,300 odd feet. The shooting 

 rights of this particular ground belonged to the 

 Master of Blantyre, from whom I had not much 

 difficulty in obtaining permission ; so, choosing a 

 suitable day, John and I sallied forth ; certainly not 

 until we had ascended to the higher reaches ot the 

 mountains did we find any birds, and then only about 

 two small packs. Our difficulty was to make them 

 out amongst the stones, so much did their plumage 

 assimilate with everything around them ; for it must 

 be remembered the birds were in different plumage ; 

 some showing a mixture of slate-grey and white, 

 others being practically white. McGillivray better 

 illustrates how difficult they are to make out 

 than any other author I have read, so I append 

 a short extract : " These beautiful birds," he 

 says, "while feeding, run and walk among the 

 weather-beaten and lichen-crested fraoments of 

 rock, from which it is very difficult to distinguish 

 them when they remain motionless, as they in- 

 variably do should a person be in sight. Indeed, 

 unless you are directed to a particular spot by their 

 strange, low, croaking cry, you may pass through a 

 flock of Ptarmigans without observing a single 

 individual, although some of them may not be ten 

 yards distant. When squatted, however, they utter 

 no sound, their object being to conceal themselves ; 

 and if you discover the one from which the cry has 



