l8o AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



The form of willow ptarmigan, known as Allen's 

 ptarmigan, was described from Newfoundland by Dr. 

 Stejneger nearly twenty-five years ago. The differ- 

 ences between it and the bird of the mainland are 

 trifling, being chiefly confined to the color of the shafts 

 of primaries and secondaries, which are black. This 

 is still a common bird of Newfoundland, where it is 

 often called "partridge" by the settlers, and where, in 

 more remote districts, it still offers very good shooting, 

 though nowhere nearly so abundant as formerly. It 

 lives on the barrens, feeding on seeds and berries, 

 and in winter on the buds of alders, willows and 

 birches. It breeds on the ground among the spruces. 



Perhaps no writer has lived longer in the region in- 

 habited by the willow grouse than Napoleon A. 

 Comeau, who, in his recent work, "Life and Sport 

 on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence," 

 gives some interesting notes on the species. He says : 



"Of all the above species [of grouse], the willow 

 ptarmigan is by far the most abundant, and of con- 

 siderable value as an article of food during its years 

 of passage. It is an irregular migrant, in this wise, 

 that it does not come regularly every season, like most 

 other birds, and sometimes we may be three or four 

 years without seeing any. I have gathered consider- 

 able data on this subject, and I find that about every 

 tenth year is one of great abundance. Here are some 

 of the dates: 1863 and 1864, extremely abundant; 

 1867, disappeared this year; 1871, a few were seen this 

 year, but none between 1867 and 1871 ; 1872 and 1873, 



