36 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



with it again. In August the birds lie well are 

 tame as pheasants, in fact and with care a big bag 

 may be made, always provided, however, that the 

 birds are carefully marked down. Sometimes they 

 fly right across the corrie to a neighbouring hill, but 

 more frequently round a summit. An inexperienced 

 sportsman will often be deceived, for ptarmigan do 

 not, like grouse, settle on the first knoll over the 

 skyline, but more frequently sweep round in a semi- 

 circle. Birds that have been stalked a few times 

 soon get wild, and it is almost impossible to get near 

 them after the advent of October. Like grouse, 

 ptarmigan " pack," and as many as fifty may some- 

 times be seen together by the end of September. 



With the first touches of frost in early autumn 

 the change of plumage commences. Freckled grey 

 begins to take the place of the summer coat, and as 

 the season progresses white becomes the dominant 

 colour. The transition is quickest on the under parts, 

 the upper plumage still resembling the bleached 

 autumn tints. The beginning of winter finds the 

 change complete, or nearly so. By this time the 

 birds are apparently white, having only the lores 

 black. Upon close examination the change is not 

 nearly so complete as it seems, for faint brown 

 blotches are detected, and upon turning back the 

 feathers it is noticed that the base of many of these 

 is quite brown. It must be remembered that this 



