WILLOW PTARMIGAN 183 
early in the morning, sometimes so early that it is im- 
possible to distinguish them unless there happens to 
be some dark background. The morning flight, when 
abundant, will last an hour or two. The size of the 
flock varies, in ordinary seasons, from ten to fifteen or 
twenty. In years of great abundance, flocks of a hun- 
dred or more are common. On the 14th of December, 
1885, I saw at Trinity Bay, six miles east of Pointe 
des Monts, one flock which contained many thousands. 
It was a continuous mass of birds over half a mile 
long and from sixty to a hundred yards wide. I have 
never seen anything approaching this before, nor have 
I since. When in large flocks they are, as a rule, shy, 
especially if the weather is very cold or windy, and 
will rise long before one gets within ordinary range. 
On the wing, however, they do not seem to mind any- 
thing in their way, flying over and around one with- 
out apparently noticing him. They are very strong 
on the wing, not any faster than the ruffed grouse, but 
capable of sustaining much longer flights, occasionally 
going five or six miles without resting. 
“In small bunches and in snowy and mild weather 
they are quite tame, and when feeding in the thick 
willow bottoms it is hard work to get them to rise out of 
them. After feeding they congregate around some 
clump of willow, and scratching a small hollow in the 
snow, will lie perfectly still for hours, the top of the 
head just level with the snow, the black eye and beak 
alone betraying their presence. The popular idea of 
their diving in the snow to escape pursuit is most 
