590 THE WHITE-TAILED PTAR.MIGAN. 



fearlessly ex|)()sing- her person, until slu' is assured that llie l)al>ies are all sate. 

 At such times she utters a whining sound, or adds to it a \ocal undertone, 

 (to// dziit (Irjiit d::.ut, which is not unlike the ehittering of a chipnuink or a 

 Chickadee. The youngsters peep lustily, once the han of silence has heen 

 removed, and if the I>ird-watcher lingers quietly, he may hear the motherly 

 clucking which reassembles the brood. 



The foixl of the Bush Pheasants consists largely of insects, worms, 

 seeds, buds, green leaves, and berries. They are fonil ni the Iruil of 

 the Cascara, which they gather from the ground ; and wild crab-apples are 

 favorites in season. These last ripen about the middle of October, and from 

 that time until the alders bud again these Grouse are often to \k found in 



evergreen trees. 



No. 23.S. 



WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. 



A. O. U. No. 304. Lagopiis leiicuriis Swains. & Rich. 



Synonyms. — AhiuNTAiN GrousK. Snow Grouse. "Foot, TTivV." 



Description. — .Idiilts in full siiiiiiiu-r dress: Head and neck all around, 

 ■ forebreast and upperparts, including scaiuilars. upper tail-coverts, and central 

 pair of rectriccs. white, mottled and barred with black, finely upon head and 

 neck, broadlv elsewhere, the black, in turn, except on breast, fitiely barred and 

 vermiculatcd with ochraceous tawny or grayish Jirown : remaining plumage, in- 

 cluding wings and tail (with exceptions noted) |)in-e white; bill and nails black. 

 Adults in winter: Entire plumage pure white. Specimens iti summer plumage 

 vary interminablv both in the amount and intensity of the black and ochraceous 

 or tawny, the coloration of the central pair df laihfeatbcr^ being apparently the 

 last character assumed in this moult. "Wuiiui: Above light brownish gray, or 

 grayish brown, deiiseb- vermiculatcd with black, and with scaltorcd irregular 

 patches of the .same; two outer (|uills partly white, four innermost ones entirely 

 white, the rest dull grayish; tail-feathers mottled brownish like back; anterior 

 and lateral lower parts dull huffy, irregularly barreil, vermiculatcd and spotted 

 with black ; rest of lower parts plain dull buft'y grayish white" ( RidgwayV Length 

 of adult: i;vOo-i4.oo ( ,:i30.2-355.r) ) ; wing 7.00-7.J5 1 177.S-1S4.2 ) ; tail 3.30 

 (88.9). 



Recognition Marks. — Little Uawk size; mottled black of upiierjiarts, and 

 pure white of wings, tail and underparts of summer plumage unmistakable. 



Nesting. — Nest: a grass-lined depressiim. in heather-bed or on grassy slope 

 near timber-line. Eggs: 8 or 10, sometimes 14. creamy buff or pale ruddy, 

 speckled and round-spotted, rather s|)aringly. with hin-nt sienn.i. Av. size. 1.78 x 

 i.t6 f 4S.2 X 2r).5 ). Season: June. July; one nr two broods. 



