UP THE MOUNTAINS. 173 



Ptarmigan pair like Red Grouse, and the female 

 makes her scanty nest beneath the shelter of a 

 rock or bush. The eggs are laid in May, and are 

 from eight to twelve in number, buffish white, 

 spotted with dark brown. They, too, are highly 

 protective in colour. As soon as the young are 

 reared the birds begin to pack, much earlier than 

 the Red Grouse, and for the remainder of the 

 year are more or less gregarious. It is also 

 worthy of remark that the note of the Ptarmigan 

 is much less loud and startling than the cry of the 

 Red Grouse, and the bird is a much more silent 

 one. Of all our Game Birds the Ptarmigan is 

 the wildest, and the least dependent upon the 

 protection of man. 



Another interesting bird we may be fortunate 

 enough to come across on a few favoured moun- 

 tain-tops is the DOTTEREL (Ckaradrius morinellus). Grampians, 

 Of all the birds that we shall meet with here the H^nSs, 

 Dotterel is the tamest. It seems literally to have PwdUyin 

 no fear of man, and I have seen it when on District of 

 migration and in parties so utterly regardless 

 of its safety as to run to and fro over the bare 

 ground on the hilltops, almost within reach of 

 my hand. It is a source of satisfaction to know 

 that man has little opportunity of taking advan- 

 tage of this confidence, for the Dotterel nestles 

 far from human haunts ; and the migrating in- 

 dividuals that pass over the British Islands to and 

 from the Arctic regions do not stay long enough 

 to pay the penalty of their trustfulness. As may 

 be gathered from the foregoing remarks, the 

 Dotterel is a migrant. It comes to a few favoured 

 spots in our islands to breed, but elsewhere it 

 is only seen on passage. Dotterels appear to 



