148 British Birds, 



is becoming general, many fierce battles among the 

 males may be seen going on, and very resolute and 

 lengthened and circuitous flights of one in pursuit of 

 another occur. The nest is very slight, of ling and 

 bents chiefly, and usually well concealed in a tuft of 

 heather. From six or seven up to twelve or fifteen 

 eggs are said to be laid, but I should say that the 

 highest average, judging from the number of young 

 birds in a brood, very rarely much exceeds eight or 

 nine. The eggs are very beautiful and richly coloured, 

 but vary exceedingly in both ground-colour and mark- 

 ings, even those found in the same nest. Some are of 

 a yellowish shade, and others of a blood-stain red, 

 mottled and blotched with rich umber brown, and the 

 paler ones with shades of light brown. — Fig. h, plate 

 VI. 



PTARMIGAN — {J.agopus mutits ; formerly, 

 L, vulgaris^. 



White Grouse, Rock Grouse, White Game. — Only 

 found now among the rocky tops of the highest hills 

 and mountains in the centre and north of Scotland. 

 It is the smallest species of Grouse in Britain, and its 

 plumage varies greatly with the season, becoming 

 nearly pure white in winter. It lays seven to ten 

 eggs ; frequentl yon the bare stones. They are of a 

 yellowish ground-colour, blotched and spotted (slightly 

 so as compared with the eggs of the Red Grouse) with 

 rich dark brown. 



