6 7 



parts of our islands, usually being found to be more 

 numerous where the coast is steep and rocky. 



Single pairs of this species are occasionally 

 found breeding by themselves, as in the caves at 

 the Bass Rock and on the " Pinnacles " at the 

 Fern Islands, but more commonly they nest in 

 colonies of smaller or larger size. They used 

 formerly to be plentiful at the Ferns, but during 

 the last two years that I have visited the Islands 

 there was but one pair. 



The specimens in the case together with their 

 eggs and nest were taken from the rocks on the 

 west coast of Ross-shire in May, 1868. 



PTARMIGAN. (WINTER). 



Case 80. 



It is only the oldest birds that assume the pure 

 white dress so early as the end of the shooting 

 season, the young occasionally retaining several 

 grey feathers in their plumage a month or even six 

 weeks later ; and, judging from my own experience 

 I should be of opinion that some of the more back- 

 ward birds do not become thoroughly white till 

 their second winter. 



This change is not a moult ; the white appears 

 first at the point of the feathers, and then gradually 

 spreads down to the root or quill. 



I have now and then killed Ptarmigan which 

 at first glance appeared perfectly white, but on 

 being more closely examined showed several stains 

 or lightly-marked blotches on their plumage, and 

 on turning back the feathers I have discovered that 

 a few were still half grey, and their darker colour 

 showing dimly through the pure white covering of 

 the adjoining or overlapping feathers gave the 

 stained appearance to their otherwise spotless 

 plumage. 



Ptarmigan shooting in December is a very 



