PTARMIGAN PHEA SANT. 99 



PTABMIGAN (Lagopus mutus). 



Kesident. Unknown in England and Ireland. Fairly com- 

 mon on some of the high moors and mountains of Scotland. 



Plumage. Summer: head, breast, and upper parts ash- 

 brown, barred, waved, and pencilled with dusky. Wings, 

 under tail-coverts, and two central tail feathers white. Belly 

 white ; outer tail feathers black, more or less tipped with white ; 

 over eye a bright vermilion skin -patch. Legs and feet covered 

 with white feathers. Length 15 in. Female, orange-tawny, 

 barred with black. Winter : both sexes pure white ; the male 

 having a black line from bill through eye (absent in the female), 

 and outer tail-feathers black. 



Language. A harsh croak. 



Habits. When alarmed it generally crouches motionless, 

 and usually escapes observation, as the plumage harmonizes 

 with the ground both in summer and winter. Flight some- 

 what like the Bed Grouse's. In winter they congregate, and 

 frequent lower elevations than in summer. 



Food. Green shoots and various berries. 



Nest. May. One brood. 



Site. In a hollow in the ground. Often among stones on a 

 mountain top. 



Materials. If any, a few heather-stalks and pieces of grass. 



Eggs. Eight to ten, or more. Yellowish white, blotched and 

 spotted with rich dark brown. Much like the Red Grouse's, but 

 less marked. 



Family PHASIANID^. 

 PHEASANT (Phasianus colchicus). 



Resident. Common, and found in woods, coming out into 

 the open to feed. Nowadays Pheasant-rearing has assumed 

 such gigantic proportions that many birds are semi-domesti- 

 cated. A Chinese species the Ring-necked Pheasant has 

 been introduced in countless numbers, and these have inter- 

 bred so much with our wild Pheasant that one rarely finds a 

 true type of British bird. Our Pheasant has no ring at all 

 round the neck. 



Plumage. Head and neck radiant with green and purple 

 reflections. Sides of face nude and scarlet, minutely speckled 

 with black ; otherwise plumage richly variegated with black, 

 brown, green, purple, red, and yellow. Tail long. Length 

 36 in. Female, smaller ; light brown, marked with darker 

 brown ; sides of face feathered. 



Language. A loud squawk, like " gurrg." 



