141 PATERFAMILIAS A TRUANT. 



circumstanced to himself. In the month of Aitgust, 

 by which time the chicks are pretty well grown, the 

 old hen takes them also to the more elevated regions, 

 when the brood is rejoined by "paterfamilias ;" and from 

 that time forward they all keep company until the 

 approach of winter, when the several families collect 

 together in large packs. 



Though these partial separations of the male from 

 his family — and the like is said of the Hazel-Hen, as pre- 

 viously shown — seem vei'y singular, yet every one asserts 

 such to be the fact. But after all, may there not be a 

 mistake in the matter ? Is it really true that the male 

 acts as described, for though uot seen in the company of 

 the female, may he uot be in the near vicinity ? and 

 may not the packs of old male Fjall-Ripa so often seen 

 on the fjalls by sportsmen and others, be individuals 

 who, as with certain male Dal-Ripa, have been unable 

 to mate themselves, and not, as genei'ally asserted, 

 truant mates ? 



The Fjall-Eipa has many enemies : the snowy owl, 

 eagles, and hawks of various kinds, among the rest. 

 From the velocity of its flight, however, even the 

 gyr-falcori, about the swiftest of the feathered tribe, 

 has not always an easy task in capturing it ; for when 

 pursued, instinct teaches it to keep above its assailant, 

 and it sometimes happens, we are assured, that both the 

 pursuer and the pursued fly to so great a height as to 

 be lost to the view of the spectator. It is said that 

 when the poor Ripa is thus hard pressed it will occa- 

 sionally take refuge in the hata, or hut, of the Lap- 

 lander, or it may be amongst his rein-deer. 



Of all the genus Tetrao, the Fjall-Ripa is in the least 

 request for the table in Scandinavia; but if well dressed, 

 I have always found it very palatable, and little inferior 

 to the Dal-Eipa. 



