50 THE BIRDS OF MONTREAL. 



providing they are satisfied with bagging only a 

 few, as they are difficult game birds to shoot on the 

 wing, when, suddenly arising with a whirr, close 

 by, and off like a shot, but when treed and seen 

 they appear then very stupid birds, and are easily 

 shot down. I shot six during the fall of 1889, 

 three on the spur of Mount Royal and the others 

 on Isle Jesus. A few of soieh birds will give the 

 sportsman many days of delightful rambles through 

 the woods before he succeeds in bagging them. 

 They are fine eating birds, and are exposed for sale 

 in our markets in large numbers at 60 cents to 80 

 cents a brace. 



Genus Lagopus. Brisson. 



96. Willow Ptarmigan. (White Grouse.) L. Lago- 

 pus. (Linn.) 



"Transient Visitant," rare. This species is only 

 a casual visitant here in the fall of the year. Mr. 

 A. C. McKeand saw two flocks of this ptarmigan, 

 of about twenty and thirty, December 12. 1889, 

 flying south over the wharf at Longueuil ; the sec- 

 ond flock was flying only about thirty yards above 

 the wharf. They are said to be plentiful and resi- 

 dent on the Laurentian range of mountains to the 

 north of us. Occasionally large numbers, in the 

 months of December and January, are exposed for 

 sale in our markets at 60 cents a brace. They are 



