THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 105 



better flavored. In the Rocky Mountains a species of Grouse 

 is found which closely resembles the Spruce Grouse, except 

 that its habitat is in the mountains rather than in the swamps. 

 This species is called Franklin's Grouse. 



PTARMIGAN. 



Allied to the grouse, and known by the name of Snow 

 Grouse are the Ptarmigans. They inhabit the northern parts 

 of both continents, especially the cold snowy regions near or 

 within the Arctic Circle. They differ from the common 

 Grouse in having their legs and feet completely feathered, 

 leaving no portion of the body exposed except the bill and 

 nails. They all turn white in winter, but in summer are 

 beautifully mottled with various colors. Only one species has 

 its habitat within the limits of the United States. This is the 



WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN 



of the Rocky Mountains. They inhabit the regions of 

 eternal snow, and only descend to the lower levels to breed. 

 Not much is known of this species except that they are wild 

 and shy. Their color in winter is the same as their snowy 

 surroundings, and in summer resembles that of the moss and 

 lichen covered rocks. 



THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 



This is an important bird and furnishes a large amount 

 of food to the inhabitants of British America, particularly to 

 the natives and trappers of the Hudson's Bay territory. In 

 winter they sometimes enter the limits of the Northern States, 

 and their range is from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to the 

 Rocky Mountains and the Arctic Sea. They breed plentifully 

 in Newfoundland, Labrador and the fur countries. They 

 live mostly on the ground. They are wonderfully prolific, 

 and vast numbers of them are found and captured in some 

 localities. Hearne, who travelled and explored in the Hud- 

 son's Bay region nearly a hundred years ago gives the follow- 

 ing account of them : 



" They are by far the most numerous of the grouse species that 



