THE PTARMIGAN. 353 



Variation of plumage Habits. 



Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, and some other 

 naturalists, from Captain George Cartwright> 

 who resided many years on the coast of Labra*- 

 dor, on the subject of the grous changing their 

 colour ; he says, " I took particular notice of 

 those I killed : and can aver, for a fact, that they 

 get at this time of the year (September) a very 

 large addition of feathers, all of which are white; 

 and that the coloured feathets at the same time 

 change to white. In spring, most of the white 

 feathers drop off, and are succeeded by coloured 

 ones ; or, I rather believe, all the white ones drop 

 off, and they get an entirely new set. At the 

 two seasons they change very differently; in the 

 spring beginning at the neck, and spreading from, 

 thence; now they begin on the belly, and end 

 on the neck." 



Their feet, by being feathered entirely to the 

 toes, are protected from the cold of the northern 

 jegions. Mr. Barrington says, " that in sum- 

 mer both their legs and feet are rather bare of 

 plumage; and that although in winter the fea- 

 thers wrap very closely round the toes, yet none 

 of them spring from beneath." Every morning 

 they take a flight directly upwards into the air, 

 apparently to shake the snow from their wings 

 and bodies. They feed in the mornings and 

 evenings, and in the middle of the day they bask 

 in the sun. Their food consists of the buds of 

 trees, young shoots of pine, heath, fruits, and 

 the berries which grow on the mountains. 



VOL. III. -NO. XXIII. 2 Y 



