428 LAGOPUS LEUCURUS, WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. 



persistently persecuted, it soon becomes wild, and leaves the range of 

 ,a sbot-guu with surprising quickness. After hunting several large 

 flocks for three or four days, they grew so shy that it was difficult to 

 approach within gunshot, although at first they had been comparatively 

 tame. Nimble of foot, the Ptarmigan frequently prefers to run away, 

 on the approach of danger, rather than take wing, running over the 

 rocks and leaping from point to point with great agility, stopping every 

 little while to look at the object of aUirm. I have sometimes chased 

 them half a mile or more, over the rocky, craggy ridges of the main 

 range, without being able to get within gunshot, or force them to take 

 wing. The flight of the Ptarmigan is strong, rapid, and at times sus- 

 tained for a considerable distance, though usually they fly but a few hun- 

 dred yards before alighting again. It resembles that of the Prairie 

 Hen, consisting of rapid flappings of the wings, alternating with the 

 sailing flight of the latter bird. The note is a loud cackle, somewhat 

 like the Prairie Hen's, yet quite different; and when uttered by a large 

 flock together, reminds one of the confused murmur and gabble of a 

 flock of shore-birds about to take wing. It is a gregarious bird, asso- 

 ciating in flocks throughout the year, except in the breeding season. 

 The difterent broods gather together as soon as they are nearly grown, 

 forming large flocks, sometimes of a hundred or more. The colors of 

 this bird closely resemble those of the^urrounding objects, at all seasons 

 of the year. In its summer plumage of speckled black and gray, it is 

 very difficult to detect while sitting motionless among the gray and 

 lichen-covered rocks. The Ptarmigan is apparently well aware of this; 

 and often squats and remains quiet while one is walking past, trusting 

 to its resemblance to the surrounding rocks to escape observation. So 

 perfect is this resemblance that, sometimes on seeing one alight at a 

 certain spot and withdrawing my eyes from it a moment, I have been 

 unable to find it again, although I knew the exact place where it sat, 

 until a movement on the part of the bird betrayed its position. In 

 summer the white areas of the plumage are completely hidden while 

 the bird is squatting, although plainly visible while on the wing; in 

 winter, the first appearing black si>ecks are concealed beneath the white 

 feathers; and at this period, as I am informed, is almost indistinguish- 

 able from the snow. On being pursued, it will dive into the snow and 

 reappear at a considerable distance." 



In further illustration of the history of this species, I reproduce the 

 following interesting communication from Mr. J. H. Batty, of Dr. Hay- 

 den's survey. It appeared in "Forest and Stream," of January 29, 

 1874. That the bird never lays more than four eggs is, however, open 

 to question. 



" The LcKjopus leucurus is the smallest of its genus, and inhabits the 

 highest ranges of the Eocky JMouiitains. It was first taken by Douglas 

 and lu'esented to the Zoological Society of London. Since then, speci- 

 mens of it have been taken by the United States expeditions, and during 

 the last summer I collected several adults and one .young chick while in 

 the Sierra Madre Mountains with the United States Geological Survey 

 under Dr. P. V. llayden. The White-tailed Ptarmigan is the only one 

 of its family that is found in the Southern Pocky Mountains. During 

 the summer months they are found in pairs near the snow-banks on the 

 bare tops of the mountains. Their nests I have seen on several occa- 

 sions, all of which had been deserted by the young. They are generally 

 placed in some little cavity among the loose rocks, and are constructed 

 of dried grasses. The nests are small in proj>ortion to those of the 

 different species of Grouse, and scantily built. In fact, the-y select just 



