22 BIRDS OF IVIGTUT. 



the night. Twice it happened that Ptarmigans came from, 

 across the ice-covered fjord in the morning, and alighted on 

 the roofs of the houses, where of course they were shot. 



It is very interesting to see a flock of Ptarmigans walking 

 about in the snow, and with subdued murmurs hunting for 

 food. They generally sit still while one approaches them, 

 trusting, no doubt, that their white coat will protect them 

 from being discovered ; but their black bills and dark eyes, 

 and the black stripe on the males, render them quite con- 

 spicuous. Several times when I have come upon them in 

 summer they have retreated to the nearest snow-field, 

 apparently forgetting that they wore their winter costume 

 no longer. They often let their voice be heard, and then the 

 males and the females may be distinguished. 



The females do not don their summer dress until June, 

 and the males much later, perhaps more than a month. 

 On the 1st of July they were still half-white ; and on the 

 20th of July I saw a male that was white on the breast. 

 By the 20th of September both sexes are about half-white 

 and half-gray, and when October closes most of them are 

 attired in their winter costume. The old birds regain their 

 winter color earlier than do the younger. 



Three times I found female Ptarmigans with their young 

 in the month of July. On the 20th of July I found one at 

 the height of thirteen hundred feet, with her young yet quite 

 small. The mother was exceedingly anxious about her 

 brood, and ran so close to my feet that I could easily 

 have struck her with my walking-stick. The chicks ran 

 away faster than I could have walked, and seemed to have 

 a surprisingly good idea of how to hide themselves, although 

 there was really nothing to cover them. The cries of the 

 mother were of a guttural tone, while the piping of the 

 young resembled that of some chickens. The same day 



