124 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



out at an elevation of over 3000 feet, right in the heart 

 of the Ptarmigan country. One traversed extensive areas 

 of Ptarmigan ground without coming across a single bird, 

 the cold winds and snowfalls of early June having had a 

 disastrous effect on their numbers. The tendency of 

 the birds to pack early in the summer is, I think, ex- 

 plained by this fact — the unfortunate Ptarmigan which 

 have had their eggs or young destroyed joining up with 

 the barren birds, with the result that extensive packs 

 may be seen shortly after the Longest Day. In mid-July 

 I have seen such a pack, consisting of over a hundred 

 birds, which contained only one young individual. 



Although I have frequently called up hen Ptarmigan 

 during the nesting season by imitating the distress cry 

 of their young, I had never succeeded in deceiving the 

 adult birds when free from family cares until quite re- 

 cently. It was in October on Cairngorm that I first 

 succeeded in effecting this. I flushed a cock which, from 

 his reluctance to move, I surmised must have a mate near, 

 so just to see what would happen, I whistled the high, 

 piercing note which had hitherto deceived the mother 

 birds. Somewhat to my surprise, the Ptarmigan ap- 

 proached, uttering croaking, anxious cries, and remained 

 in the vicinity till I left. I imagine that he thought 

 I had captured his mate, and that the disturbing cries 

 proceeded from her. I mention this partly to show how 

 much more attentive a bird — to its mate as well as to its 

 young — is the Ptarmigan than the Red Grouse ; for I 

 am quite certain that the latter bird would not show 

 such devotion in times of danger. 



In his Rough Notes on the Birds observed during Twenty 

 Years^ Shooting and Collecting in the British Islands, Booth 

 gives an interesting account of Ptarmigan-shooting. He 

 found it the safest plan on such occasions to leave the 

 lodge by 3 or 4 a.m., so as to reach the high ground by 



