THE MOUNTAINS 



363 



" The little brown bird in the heather " 

 Ptarmigan Lake in the background 



sive. She showed virtually no concern when I was with- 

 in three feet of her, feeding about the rocks, and even stop- 

 ping to scratch her head. After an hour or two, the male 

 became more accustomed to me, and seemed as much at ease 

 as his mate, uttering a low, crooning note suggesting that of 

 a comfortable chicken on a sunny day. 



Convinced that this female had a nest somewhere in the 

 immediate vicinity and was out for an airing with her mate, 



