TETRAO LAGOPUS. 549 



The Ked Grouse or Brown Ptarmigan. 



Tetrao Lagopus. {Linn.) Tetrao Scoticus. (Lath.) 



" Out o'er yon muir, out o'er yon moss, 

 Whare gor-cocks through the heather pass, 

 There wons (lives) auld Colin's bonny lass — 

 A lily in a wilderness." — Burns. 



This beautiful species — the source of more pleasure to the 

 sportsman and more pain to the bird than any other game in 

 Britain, is essentially native — not found in any other part of 

 the world ; plentiful in the north of England and Ireland, and 

 abundant in the Highlands of Scotland. Large tracts of 

 heather are its favourite resorts, not swampy ground like the 

 black grouse, nor high, stony regions like the grey or common 

 ptarmigan, which is found in the highest, bleakest latitudes 

 where heather is found. It abounds in most of the Western 

 Islands, but sparingly in Orkney, and never found in Shetland, 

 though so near. They pair in January, breed early in April, 

 have several broods in the year, and, as the eggs are numerous, 

 it accounts for the stock being kept up, in spite of their immense 

 slaughter in August and September, which is fortunate for the 

 species, as it is confined to the British Islands ; but, according to 

 Humboldt's and Truth's " Universal Law," if the same 

 conditions of latitude, food, &c, be found, so also may the 

 ptarmigan, for Nature reigns supreme. Though (as tipsy Cassio 

 says in Othello) " Heaven's above all " — if she draw the sexes 

 together, no Act of Parliament nor prayer will keep them 

 separate — nor creed nor church, when old age comes, stay the 

 hair from turning grey. The nest is a shallow hollow, amongst 

 heather, with a few stems of heath and grass ; eggs, from eight 

 to fifteen, amongst the most beautiful of our British bird's eggs ; 

 for variety and richness of colour unrivalled, from pale cream to 

 deep red, spotted and blotched with umber-brown ; 1| by 1£. 

 The male takes no part in the incubation, but remains near, and 

 after they are hatched is as assiduous in their care as the female ; 

 is the first to warn them of danger, and his deep warning kok, 

 kok, kok, is the signal for squatting or flying. When his craned 

 head (called by sportsmen bottle-neck) is seen peering above the 

 heather there is no hope of getting within shot, for he 



