110 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



on her eggs or watches over her young, and that arrant 

 scoundrel, the stoat, sucks the eggs and the life-blood of 

 the baby chicks. I have found the headless body of a 

 hen Ptarmigan in full summer plumage near a low sheep 

 fence on which she had seemingly decapitated herself — 

 perhaps in endeavouring to escape the eagle. On one 

 occasion I disturbed a Ptarmigan which, from the excite- 

 ment she betrayed, I imagined must have yotmg in 

 the neighbourhood. After searching for a time I dis- 

 covered traces of a scufTle, and later the headless body 

 of a Ptarmigan a few days old. The small victim was 

 quite warm, and had in all probability been slain by a 

 stoat. I doubt whether this animal is often successful 

 in capturing adult Ptarmigan except during the nesting 

 season ; but on Ben Mac Dhui, I watched a stoat running 

 actively around in the snow — ^the season was early October 

 — at the spot where a few minutes previously a covey of 

 Ptarmigan had taken flight. 



I have always thought that one of the most misleading 

 things about the Ptarmigan is the scientific name by which 

 it is generally known. Lagopus mutus is certainly singu- 

 larly inappropriate, and a much more suitable designation 

 would be Lagopus montanus or Lagopus alpinus : for the 

 Tarmachan is considerably more demonstrative than its 

 relative the Red Grouse when the safety of its eggs or 

 young is concerned. The hen Grouse, when discovered 

 on her nest, flies straight away, and neither she nor the 

 cock appear in the vicinity till danger is past. In the 

 case of the White Grouse, however, the cock bird often 

 remains with the hen near the nest, keeping up a mournful 

 croaking until the intruder has left the nesting site. 



The cry of the Tarmachan is, I think, quite unlike 

 that of any other bird, resembling, slightly, the croaking 

 of a frog. At times the birds, when vaguely disturbed 

 though not alarmed, make use of a curious note which 



