THE PTARMIGAN 



L AGO PUS MUTUS 



Gealag bheirne, Ian ban an-t Sneac, Tarmaciian, Tarmacitan 

 SNEACAO, Gralag diieinne, Tarm-VCIdvn creaoacii (Qaelic) ; Lago- 

 pfeDE MXTET (French); Alpen schneehuhn {Qermnn); Fjal Ripe 

 (Norwegian) ; Kuruna (Finyiish). 



Associated as it must always be with Nature in her most 

 grand and noble forms, the Ptarmigan appeals to the 

 ornithologist with a force equalled by few indeed of our 

 British birds. Instilled into the Tarmachan of the Gaels 

 is the very essence of the hill country — it would seem 

 to be inseparable from the steep hill faces and gloomy 

 corries where Nature is yet in her most primitive state. 



Ptarmigan live out their quiet unobtrusive lives re- 

 moved far apart from the world. As was truly written 

 by a recent writer — an authority on the Gaels and their 

 traditions — fires might ravage the country far and wide, 

 cities might fall before the sword, yet the Ptarmigan would 

 not know, would not care. It is rare that they even see 

 the figure of a man except, maybe, a wandering shepherd 

 or a stalker out after a stag on the highest grounds. It 

 may be that this want of knowledge of the human char- 

 acter has not a little to do with the extreme tameness 

 which they often show. There are times, notably in dull, 

 quiet weather and during the calm of an early summer 

 morning, when it is almost impossible to induce the Tar- 

 machan to take wing. One such occasion I recall on a 

 morning of July. Crossing a stony hill-face about 5 a.m., 

 we disturbed a covey of Ptarmigan. Instead of rising 

 from the ground, the birds walked reluctantly forward 



