PTARMIGAN. 571 



flocks known as "packs," the males and females gerern'ly form- 

 ing separate parties ; and it is not uncommon to find that all 

 the birds killed in one drive are cocks, while on another beat 

 the reverse obtains. (Grant, I.e.). 



Nest. — A slight hollow in the ground, sheltered by the longer 

 heather and grass, and lined with moss and grass or such 

 materials as chance to be on the spot. (Grant, /.c). 



Eg.gs. — Varying in number from seven to ten and sometimes 

 more. The ground-colour is pale cream or buff, spotted and 

 blotched all over w^ith dark reddish-brown, which often nearly 

 conceals the ground-colour. Average measurements, 175 by 

 1-32 inches. (Grant, I.e.). 



II. THE PTARMIGAN. LAGOPUS MUTUS. 



Lagopiis einereus, Macgilj. Brit. B. i. p. 187 (1837). 



Lagopus w2/r///5 (Montin) ; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 157, pis. 477, 

 478 (1874); B. O. U. List. Brit. B. p. 144 (1883); 

 Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 83 (1883); Lilford, 

 Col. Fig. Brit. B. part iii. (1888) ; Saunders, Man. Brit. 

 B. p. 483 (1889); Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 44 

 (1893) ; id. in Allen's Nat. Libr. ix. p. 38 (1895). 



Tetrao imitus, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. 424 (1884). 



Adult Male and Female at all seasons.* — Outer tail-feathers black, 

 with only the bases and tips more or less white; flight-feathers 

 always white ; bill much more slender than in the Red Grouse 

 or Willow Grouse; wing shorter, males measuring about 7-5 

 inches from the bend of the wing to the end of the longest 

 flight-feather. 



Adult Male and Female, Winter Plumage. — General plumage 

 and middle pair of tail-feathers white, with a black patch in 

 front of the eye in the male, which is absent or rudimentary in 

 the female. 



Adult Male, Summer Plumage.— Head, upper-parts, middle 

 pair of tail-feathers, sides, and flanks dark brown, mottled and 



• The descriptions are again taken from Mr. Ogilvie Grant's volume (J.c). 



