PTARMIGAN SHOOTING 397 



to decoy the sportsman from the brood, which the hen 

 is anxiously calling into the thicket. No more touch- 

 ing instance of paternal affection could be witnessed; 

 no more touching proof among the lower creation of 

 self-sacrifice prompted by love. The poor feeble bird 

 would almost attack dogs and men in his efforts to 

 save his children. No true sportsman would harm a 

 bird under such circumstances. Only a brute would 

 fire upon it. The dogs are called off, and father and 

 mother ptarmigan are soon rejoicing over their res- 

 cued family. 



At times, the ptarmigan here are so tame that 

 they can be killed with a stick, and at others so wild 

 that they will not allow you to approach within gun- 

 shot; and this is generally the case in winter, when 

 the snow is hard and crusty, and the noise made in 

 approaching them alarms them. They are shot at all 

 times by our population in the distant districts, but 

 a close time is now fixed by law, which will have a 

 good effect when the law can be enforced. 



There is another species found in Newfoundland, 

 but it is comparatively rare the rock ptarmigan, L. 

 rupestris (Gmelin). It is a truly alpine species, and 

 is seldom found below the line of stunted black spruce, 

 except in the depths of winter, when they descend to 

 the lowlands and feed on the buds of dwarf trees, some- 

 times in company with the willow grouse. Our settlers 

 call this the mountain partridge. 



