360 



BIRD-LIFE IX WESTERN CANADA 



ber. This plumage appears only on the exposed i)ortions of 

 the bird's body and is followed in ( )ctol)er l)y the pure white 

 winter dress. The case is one of the l)est arguments to be 

 found among liirds for the value of, and necessity for pro- 

 tective colorino-. 



A Pair of Ptarmigan 



J had never seen a living Ptarmigan and an unsuccess- 

 ful search for them in Colorado had sharpened my already 

 keen desire to meet this strongly characterized Ini'd on its 

 native heather. But the following morning, anticipations 

 of finding Ptainiigan were by no means my only cause for 

 exhilaration as I passed easily over the crisp snow crust, 

 foi-mcd dui-ing the night. There was the inspiring, elemen- 

 tal grandeur of the mountains, the gi'ateful sense of uttei" 

 isolation, and the primitive abundance of certain forms of 

 life. Dozens of gi-eat hoary marmots, surprised at their 

 root-digging, galloped back to their caves, scuttling 



