48 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



of wind in fact, I have seen an egg containing 

 a fully developed chick blown clean out of the nest. 

 Although this is merely a hollow scraped amongst 

 the blaeberries or grass the Ptarmigan nesting above 

 the heather line the nest is easily recognised after 

 many years. The blaeberry, it may be remarked, 

 is found flourishing at a height of 4,000 feet. 



The period of incubation is several days longer 

 than in the case of the Grouse, probably owing to 

 the greater cold of these heights, and a day or 

 so before the young are hatched the hen bird is 

 so confiding that one may sometimes take an egg 

 from underneath her without causing her to leave 

 the nest. When the hen is put off the eggs, the 

 cock bird immediately joins her from the point of 

 vantage where he has been keeping guard, and 

 together they half run, half fly a short distance. 

 It is interesting to watch the cock working his head 

 up and down at his mate as if reproaching her for 

 her want of courage. 



The best way to find a nest is to watch the 

 cock bird's behaviour when flushed ; he usually flies 

 round in a large circle, and lighting on some rock, 

 watches you anxiously. Then it is fairly certain 

 that he has a sitting mate within a radius of 300 

 yards, and an hour or two's searching is generally 

 crowned with success. In this way the cock Ptar- 

 migan is a far more loving husband than the Grouse, 

 and he and the hen show great signs of distress 

 when the nest has been discovered. The cock bird 

 on rising utters his cry, " Croak ; croak, croak, 

 croak," the last note being more prolonged ; and 

 on alighting runs along with tail spread out after 

 the manner of a strutting pigeon, while the hen 

 runs quietly along beside him. 



