

ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 329 



grossed with each other to heed the shooter, who 

 lies behind a stone on the pairing ground, and 

 picks them off as he pleases. 



Both the ptarmigan and willow grouse are 

 strictly monogamous. Some'naturalists appear to 

 have an idea that both, when pairing, have a kind 

 of " lek " or play, like the capercailzie and black- 

 cock, both of which birds are polygamous. I can 

 only say I never saw anything of the kind. The 

 ptarmigan, certainly, have their favourite pairing 

 grounds on the fells, and here the birds assemble 

 at daylight in the early spring, in small flocks, 

 but widely scattered all over the place. The old 

 males utter their peculiar love-call, which is an- 

 swered by the female, and they draw together ; 

 but although there are several males in the neigh- 

 bourhood, each one seems to have his particular 

 stand and his own favourite female, and if by 

 chance another male intrudes on his ground he 

 drives it off. But I firmly believe that one male 

 treads only one female. 



I never could discover a playing place of the 

 willow grouse, nor do I believe any such existed 

 in the Quickiock forest. At early dawn the birds 

 were scattered all over the forest, and the hoarse 

 love-call of the males resounded on all sides. This 

 would soon be answered by a female, and the 

 couple would join. The willow grouse is easily 



