PTARMIGAN 125 



parents become alert and busy, and towards autumn more 

 careful, and finally very shy in the winter. If the weather 

 is fine and sunny in winter, they are all again slow to move." 

 But the male, it would appear, leaves the rearing of the 

 young to the hen bird, rejoining them all again later in 

 the season, and then several families pack together. 



The eggs, from eight to ten in number, of a regular oval 

 form, are of a white, yellowish white, greenish white, or 

 reddish colour, blotted and spotted with rich chocolate 

 brown, and the ground colour varies greatly from dirty white 

 to rich brownish buff. 



