244 



LAGOPUS. 



the eye, the tail-feathers greyish-black, based and tipped with 

 white, the shafts of the primaries brown. Female in winter 

 white, the feathers between the bill and the eye black at the 

 base only, the tail-feathers brownish-black, based and tipped 

 with white, the shafts of the primaries brown. 



In spring, both sexes white, mottled with dark grey and 

 yellow feathers, which are barred with black ; the wings, 

 lower parts, and tail, as in winter. 



In summer, the head, neck, upper parts and sides, spotted 

 and barred with yellow and brownish-black ; the wings, lower 

 parts, and tail, as in winter. 



In autumn, the plumage of the upper parts and sides finely 

 barred with greyish-white and greyish-black ; the head, neck ? 

 and sides retaining the yellow summer feathers longest ; the 

 wings, lower parts, and tail, as in winter. 



Young spotted and barred with yellow and dark brown ; 

 wings white, the shafts of the primaries dusky ; tail brown- 

 ish-black ; the middle feathers barred with yellow and dark 

 grey. 



Male, 151, 2 8, 8, T 9 ^, l, 1, T V Female, 14, 25. 



The Ptarmigan of the Grampians and other mountainous 

 regions of the north of Scotland, is very little inferior in size 

 to the common " Red Grouse/' which it exactly resembles 

 in form. It inhabits the higher parts of our more elevated 

 mountains, that is, from the height of 3000 feet upwards, 

 feeding on Calluna vulgaris, vaccinia, Empetrum nigrum, and 

 various alpine plants. Its voice has a close resemblance to 

 the croak of a frog. In autumn it collects into large flocks 

 or packs, descends from the summits in winter, but never en- 

 ters the lower regions. These beautiful birds, as I have else- 

 where stated, while feeding, run and walk among the wea- 

 ther-beaten and lichen-crusted fragments of rock, from which 

 it is very difficult to distinguish them when they remain mo- 

 tionless, as they invariably do should a person be in sight. 

 Indeed, unless he is directed to a particular spot by their 

 strange low croaking cry, one may pass through a flock of 

 ptarmigans without observing a single individual, although 

 some of them may not be ten feet distant. When squatted, 

 however, they utter no sound, their object being to conceal 

 themselves ; and, if you discover the one from which the cry 

 has proceeded, you generally find him on the top of a stone, 

 ready to spring off the moment you shew an indication of hos- 

 tility. If roused, they generally fly off in a loose body, with 

 a direct and moderatoly rapid flight, resembling that of the 



