NORTHERN OCEAN 383 



body ; but their Summer dress is seldom complete till July. 

 The feathers of those birds make excellent beds, and as they 

 are the perquisite of the hunters, are usually sold to the 

 Captains and Mates of the Company's ships, at the easy rate 

 of three pence per pound. 



Rock Partridges/ This species of Grouse are in Winter Rock Par- 

 of the same colour as the former, but inferior in size ; being 

 in general not more than two-thirds of the weight. They 

 have a black line from the bill to the eye, and differ in nature 

 and manner from the Willow Partridge. They never frequent 

 the woods or willows, but brave the severest cold on the open 

 plains. They always feed on the buds and tops of the dwarf 

 birch, and after this repast, generally sit on the high ridges of 

 snow, with their heads to windward. They are never caught 

 in nets, like the Willow Partridge ; for when in want of 

 gravel, their bills are of such an amazing strength, that they 

 pick a sufficient quantity out of the rocks. Beside, being so 

 much inferior in size to the former species, their flesh is by 

 no means so good, being black, hard, and bitter. They are 

 in general, like the Wood Partridge, either exceeding wild 

 or very tame; and when in the latter humour, I have [417] 

 known one man kill one hundred and twenty in a few hours ; 

 for as they usually keep in large flocks, the sportsmen can 

 frequently kill six or eight at a shot. These, like the Willow 

 Partridge, change their plumage in Summer to a beautiful 

 speckled brown ; and at that season are so hardy, that, unless 

 shot in the head or vitals, they will fly away with the greatest 

 quantity of shot of any bird I know. They discover great 

 fondness for their young ; for during the time of incubation, 

 they will frequently suffer themselves to be taken by hand 



hundreds of thousands that I have seen killed, I never saw or heard of a 

 similar instance. 



[1 Lagopus rupestris (Gmel.). This species, first described from speci- 

 mens sent from Hudson Bay, is more northern in its range than the willow 

 ptarmigan.] 



