174 FRANK Schley's partridge and pheasant shooting. 



mediate presence of the men, and Avoiild even permit a 

 very near approach. During the winter they were fre- 

 ^quently to be met between Fort Anderson and Fort Good 

 Hope, in especial abundance about the last-mentioned 

 post. As the spring approached, they began to migrate 

 to the north ; so that in the summer scarcely a Ptarmigan 

 was to be seen south of Lockhart Eiver, on their usual 

 line of march to that post. In February, 1859, Mr. Mac 

 Farlane found them numerous to the very borders of the 

 wooded country, along the banks of the Lower Anderson. 

 Mr. Donald Gunn states that this Ptarmigan is very 

 seldom to be seen south or west of Lake Winnipeg, but is 

 found in all the country north and east of that lake durine: 

 the winter season. In the summer they ai*e said to breed 

 around Hudson's Bay, and during the winter to be found 

 along the whole extent of that bay, especially if the winter 

 is mild. During severe winters they go more inland. The 

 males of this species are said by Mr. Gunn to crow morning 

 and evening in the same manner as the Moor-fowl in Scot- 

 land, the tone and notes being very similar. The female is 

 said to lay from ten to sixteen eggs, but the largest number 

 taken by Mr. Mac Farlane appears to have been ten. 

 These birds are of great service to the Indians, serving as 

 food when larger game fails ; and their feathers are also a 

 considerable article of trade, several hundred weight of 

 them being annually sent to London. 



Mr. Dall found this Ptarmigan abundant in Alaska, from 

 Fort Yukon to the sea. In winter they feed exclusively 

 on willow buds, a double handful having often been found 

 in their crops. As soon as the ground was well covered 

 with snow they appeared on the river in covies among the 

 willow thickets. They were rather shy, and on an alarm 

 they flew immediately, but without noise. Thej- made 

 regular paths along the banks of the river among the wil- 

 lows, along which they always ran. The Indians took ad- 

 vantage of these to snare them, and caught them by hun- 

 dreds. The}' were abundant in the fall and midwinter. 

 In February they gathered in immense tlocks. and disap- 



