274 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



It wcis killed on Malundy, 3293 ft., Monar Forest, Eoss- 

 shire, in November, 1874, by Mr. W. J. 0. Holmes, of 

 Strumpshaw Hall, Norwich, and was in company with two 

 Ptarmigan, which have been mounted along with it in the 

 same case. One of these, a male, is in autumn plumage, 

 but with some white winter feathers on the throat, breast 

 and upper tail-coverts ; the other, a female, is in full 

 winter dress, with only one or two autumn feathers on 

 the scapulars. Mr. Holmes has informed me that out of 

 eleven brace of Ptarmigan killed on the same day, all 

 were in autumn- winter plumage with the exception of the 

 almost perfectly white female mentioned above, which 

 must have attained its winter plumage at an unusually 

 early date. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr, Holmes jfor his kindness 

 in forwarding the case containing these birds, and thus 

 affording me the opportunity of placing on record the 

 occurrence of this remarkable specimen, which might 

 otherwise have been lost sight of. 



