RAINIER WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN 241 



There is no evidence that this race differs materially in habits 

 from other white-tailed ptarmigan. Doctor Taylor (1927) says that 

 it ranges in altitude between 6,000 and 8,000 feet 



in the Arctic-Alpine Zone all around the mountain, rarely dropping down into 

 upper Hudsonian, except in winter. 



The ptarmigan finds congenial surroundings on the pumice slopes at and 

 above timber line on Mount Rainier. Here the combination of bright light, 

 freezing boreal blasts, dwarfed and wind-blown vegetation, and extensive snow 

 and ice fields provide Arctic conditions in fact. 



Nesting. — Taylor describes a nest as follows : 



Consciously or unconsciously the ptarmigan had here selected a nest site 

 which for grandeur of outlook would be hard to equal. The nest was on the 

 ground on the south side of a rock on a southwest slope of Pyramid Peak, at 

 an altitude of about 6,100 feet, where the hardy conifers, dwarfed and matted 

 in their unequal struggles with the elements, had at length given up com- 

 pletely. At first glance the nest did not appear to have been specially con- 

 structed ; but it was later found that a hollow had been excavated and filled 

 with dried vegetation. The nest itself was comfortably dry, though the soil 

 below was damp, and doubtless usually frozen solid. A few feathers were scat- 

 tered about the nest. Plants in the immediate vicinity were the red and white 

 heathers and the Siberian juniper. There were five eggs, one infertile, one 

 addled, and three in various stages up to approximately 10 days' development. 



Voice. — Taylor gives the best description of notes of this species 

 that I have seen. Referring to the female, he writes : 



While on the nest she several times uttered a hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, 

 a low, almost inaudible, soothing series of grouse-like notes. Another note 

 uttered by the ptarmigan as she turned the eggs was a cluck! cluck! much 

 resembling the call of a barnyard fowl to her little chickens. When away 

 from the nest she stalked about rather slowly, occasionally jerking back her 

 head in a characteristic manner, and regarded with evident anxiety the nest 

 site about which we were grouped. If we approached the nest too closely the 

 gentle bird was not a little perturbed and warned us port! perrt! or some- 

 times pit-prrrrt! prrrrtl 



Of the male he says : 



One of the birds, a cock, remained in the vicinity for upward of an hour, 

 watching the observer and calling for his mate. His principal call was some- 

 think like Su-squeek ! cluck-luck-a-luck, cluck-luck-a-luck! or sometimes Squeek! 

 cluck! cluck! cluck! cluck! Cluck lucka-lucka-lucka-cluck ! Occasionally the 

 call is blurred at the end, Cluckrrrrrrrr ! The squeaking note, which is of 

 staccato quality, high pitched and conspicuous, may be twice repeated, as fol- 

 lows: Squeek! chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck Squeek! chuck 

 chuck chuck! A call somewhat resembling that of the red-shafted flicker was 

 heai-d yip! yip! yip! yip! Another combination Yip, yip squeech! yip! yip I A 

 warning note may be represented by the syllable chirrr chirr chirr chirr chirr 

 chirr. 



