GROUSE. 133 



as with a thud that gladdens the sportsman's heart, he strikes tlie 

 ■earth. Or perhaps a whole family — father, mother and children — 

 rise at once, and the double barrels bang at them right and left, 

 bringing down two or three brace. At times a late covey is started 

 the chickens of which are only two or three weeks old, just able 

 to run smartly along the ground. It is a touching sight then to 

 see the cock fearlessly exposing himself to save the lives of 

 his offspring. He tumbles along the ground a few yards in ad- 

 vance of the dogs, rolling there in order to decoy the sportsman 

 from the brood which the hen is anxiously calling into the thicket. 

 No more touching instance of paternal affection could be witnessed ; 

 no more touching proof among the lower creation of self-sacrifice, 

 prompted by love. The poor feeble bird would almost attack dogs 

 and men in his efforts to save his children. No true sportsman 

 would harm a bird under such circumstances. Only a brute would 

 fire upon it. The dogs are called off, and father and mother Ptar- 

 migan are soon rejoicing over their rescued family. 



After a day's sport over the hills a supper of roast ptarmigan, 

 with wild strawberry tart as an accompaniment, is " a feast fit for 

 the gods." When the frost sets in, the brownish grey of the 

 Ptarmigan's plumage gradually disappears, as in the Alpine hare, 

 and at length when the snow falls it is almost pure white. One 

 peculiarity, however, in the Newfoundland bird is, that the middle 

 pair of tail coverts is rarely found entirely white in winter. These 

 remarkable changes, effected as in the northern hare without loss 

 of substance, fit it admirably for its situation ; as the sportsman, 

 if he have not a dog used to the game, may also walk over the bird 

 without putting it up. It is feathered and haired down the legs 

 and between the toes, and may be distinguished at a considerable 

 distance by the red about the eye. These birds are widely diffused 

 over the island and it is no uncommon thing for a sportsman to bag 

 in a day from a dozen to twenty brace. 



The food of the Ptarmigan consists chiefly of the buds and 

 tender shoots of birch, alder, black spruce, juniper, etc., but in the 

 berry season they feast on partridge berries and cranberries. They 

 almost invariably roost on the ground, but are often shot feeding 

 on the tops of birch and alder trees. 



At times, in some districts, they are so tame that they can be 



