L 39 ] 



Zool. illustr. t. 13. 19 ounces; that from the 

 Hudson's Bay (i^ifc) 24 ounces. These (lit 

 ferences are of little consequence, and far 

 from increasing the Hudson's Bay bird to 

 double the size of the European. The Bri- 

 tish Zoology says, there is a difference in 

 the summer colours ; but Mr. Edwards in- 

 forms us, that he compared the Hudson's Bay 

 bird with the descriptions of former ornitho- 

 logists, and found them to answer; he like- 

 wise assures us he had the same bird from 

 Norway. Therefore I cannot help dissenting 

 from the British Zoology, in this one parti- 

 cular, and thinking with Linneus and Brisson, 

 that the European and Hudson's Bay ptarmi- 

 gans are the same, especially as the colours 

 vary very much in the different sexes and at 

 different seasons. To this we may add the 

 testimony of a gentleman well versed in 

 natural history, who, having had opportunities 

 of comparing numbers of Hudson's Bay and 

 European ptarmigans, assured me that he did 

 not see any difference between them. They 

 go together in great flocks in the beginning of 

 October, living among the willows, of which 

 they eat the tops (whence they have got the 

 name of willow partridges) : about that time 

 they lose their beautiful summer plumage, 

 and exchange it for a snowy white dress, 

 most providently adapted by its thickness to 

 screen them against the severity of the sea- 

 son, and by its colour against their enemies 



the 



