THE WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. 



593 



tlie Cascade Pass, I was wi.irking lazily over a sharp ridge, half co\"ered with 

 snow, when I heard a subdued croaking, or crooning, like a Clark Nutcracker 

 note done small. Glancing ahead I saw a cock Ptarmigan standing Ijreast- 

 deep in heather and regarding me with a watchful eye. As I approached he 

 ran out upon the 

 sn(3w-bank, cackling 

 apprehensively, but 

 he circled about so 

 as to return to the 

 edge of the timbered 

 island which he had 

 just quitted. Here 

 a moment later I put 

 up the female. She 

 stepped out from the 

 heather upijn the 

 snow with a dis- 

 turbed cluck, but 

 proved to be much 

 more approachable 

 than the male. I fol- 

 lowed her about pa- 

 tiently as she skirted 

 the edge of the island 

 now returning to the heather if 1 retreated. In this wav I secured three good 

 photographs at si.x feet. The cock submitted to one snap at twenty-five feet, 



but he was too nervous to 

 ■ stand long under fire ; and he 

 retreated across the snow by 

 little runs until he had 

 reached a heatlier patch a 

 dozen rods further up. 

 Here he lingered in a fever 

 of unrest, torn by jealousy 

 and fear, as I ogled his mod- 

 est mate for an hour or 

 more. Now and then he 

 gave vent to his anxieties by 

 a series of raucous little 

 screams. But tlie hen made 



Taken un Mt. Rainier. Photo by II'. L. Romans. "O rCplv. whicll Undcr the 



A p.MiE.xT SUBJECT. circuiiistances I took to be. 



Taken in Chelan County. Photo by the .Author. 



"THE COCK SUBMITTED TO ONE S.\'.\r." 



now going i^ut upon the snc)W if pressed too closely, 



