POULTRY TRIBE. 263 



which might uproot forests, and frosts which all 

 but congeal mercury, can drive him thence. 



Most people have noticed the vast numbers of 

 ptarmigan which are found in the shops of the 

 dealers, during the latter part of winter and the 

 early spring. Perhaps few are aware that scarcely 

 one of them has been killed on the mountains of 

 Scotland. They are imported from Lapland and 

 Norway, particularly the latter country, where 

 they are exceedingly plentiful. The weight of a 

 full-grown bird is about a pound and a quarter. 



There is a second species of ptarmigan in 

 Norway and Lapland, and Linnaeus in his Lap- 

 land tour met with both kinds. Under date of 

 July 30th, he says : " The little alpine variety of 

 the ptarmigan* was now accompanied by its 

 young. I caught one of these, upon which the 

 hen ran so close to me, that I could easily have 

 taken her also. She kept continually jumping 

 round and round me ; but I thought it a pity to 

 deprive the tender brood of their mother, neither 

 would my compassion for the mother allow me 

 long to detain her offspring, which I restored to 

 her in safety." We cannot help admiring the 

 gentle and loving heart of the great naturalist, as 

 it shows itself in this pleasing little incident. 



* The Scotch ptarmigan is the same as the smaller 

 Norwegian species. 



