80 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



The specimens in the case, together with their nest 

 and eggs, were taken from the rocks on the west coast 

 of Eoss-shire, in May, 1868. 



PTARMIGAN. (WINTER.) 



Case 80. 



It is only the oldest birds that assume the pure white 

 dress so early as the end of the shooting season, the 

 young occasionally retaining several grey feathers in 

 their plumage a month or even six weeks later ; and, 

 judging from my own experience, I should be of 

 opinion that some of the more backward birds do not 

 become thoroughly white till their second winter. 



This change is not a moult ; the white appears first 

 at the point of the feathers, and then gradually spreads 

 down to the root or quill. 



I have now and then killed Ptarmigan which at 

 first glance appeared perfectly white, but on being 

 more closely examined showed several stains or lightly- 

 marked blotches on their plumage, and on turning 

 back the feathers I have discovered that a few were 

 still half grey, and their darker colour showing 

 dimly through the pure white covering of the adjoin- 

 ing or overlapping feathers, gave the stained appear- 

 ance to their otherwise spotless plumage. 



Ptarmigan shooting in December is a very different 

 sport to the slaughter of the innocents in August. 

 The hills have now put on their winter covering of 

 snow and ice, and a good bag of White Grouse is seldom 

 made without considerable risk. This is particularly 

 the case in the north-west of Perthshire, where the 



