THE GROUSE SUBFAMILY 31 



blackcock when courting. This is explained by the fact that grouse 

 and ptarmigan are monogamous. The former, after the break-up of 

 the large packs in early spring, resort to coveys again, and it is 

 between the males of these coveys that rivalry is displayed. There 

 is no regular meeting-place, as with blackcock, to which males resort. 

 They meet rather by accident, or in answer to challenges. They fight 

 after the fashion of blackcock, but do not lift the tail so high. Each 

 attempts to deal the other a blow on the head with his beak, spring- 

 ing up in the air and striking downwards. Should one seize the 

 other on the ground, it belabours its victim with both wings and feet. 

 The victor finally flies up into the air and utters a loud "kok-er-a- 

 leok-kok-kok-go-bach-gobak-goback" by way of a paean of victory and a 

 challenge. Sometimes, flushed with victory, he will go further, and 

 chase his enemy for a considerable distance. Occasionally, but rarely, 

 three or four cocks have been all in a mel^e together. Whilst the 

 fighting is going on the female runs round and round uttering a low 

 clucking note by way of encouragement, and finally rewarding the 

 victor by strutting off with him ! Each male, says Mr. Millais in his 

 monograph, " that has succeeded in appropriating a female separates 

 her to a distance of forty to a hundred yards from . . . the ground 

 chosen as a mating-place. Here he stands upright, frequently calling 

 ' uk-uk-uk ' or ' bec-bec-bec,' lowering his wings, erecting his comb, and 

 quivering the tail. . . . The female meanwhile crouches down beside 

 him and remains immovable until another cock grouse accepts the 

 challenge of the male and comes to do battle." 



One is not surprised to find that the courting customs of the 

 ptarmigan have been very little studied. The almost inaccessible 

 haunts of this bird render observations of this kind extremely 

 difficult, and only the most enthusiastic among ornithologists care to 

 make the attempt. Practically all that we know of this aspect of the 

 ptarmigan's life we owe to Mr. Millais. In his splendid monograph J he 

 gives us the combined results of his study of the ptarmigan when 



1 The Natural History of British Game-Birds. 



