460 NORTH AMERICAN HIRDS. 



inatcrinla, geiiPi'iilly leaves, (lefiwiuiially iiiiii^'Ied with featliers, hay, etc., tlio 

 ieatliei'H olteii lieiiij,' tlieir own. The saiiio nest was ol'ten luiido use of in 

 suceessive seasons. Kggs were I'ountl as late as the U4tli of .(mie, and the 

 female in supimsed to sit aliiait tiu'ee weeks before hatcldnjf. Oceasionally 

 ejj;!4s were found drop|)ed on the bare ^'round witiiout any sij^ns of a nest. 

 In one instance tiie v'^<^ was ])ure wiiite, like one taken from the oviduct. 

 It was found lyin<,' on the hare ground, without tho least aii])earanee of a 

 nest in its vicinity. 



In one instance where a nest was met with, on the hanks of Swan T'iver, 

 by Mr. MacFarlane's jiarty, ni ruiifc, the female was almost trodden under 

 foot before she fhiltered olf, when she at once turned aliout to face her ene- 

 mies, sju'eadinj.; her winj^s and ruHling her feathers as if to attack or frighten 

 them away. In linother case a nest containing only one fresh ejjg, in which 

 the female had l)ut just bejj;un to dejiosit, was found as Lite as June 2."). 

 Other ejij,'s found June 27 contained very large embryo.s. Another nest, 

 examined a fortnight later (July 10), had in it ten ]ierfectly fresh egg.s. 

 Mr. MacKarlane inferred that this nest had lieen robbed nt an early ])eriod 

 of the .season. This time she apimrcntly made no attempt at another 

 laying. 



In several instances where both birds were ))resent near a nest that wiis 

 taken, the male bird would make his presence known by giving utterance to 

 very jjcculiar rough notes, indicative of alarm and of distress at the ])ro- 

 ccedings. In one instance a nest was found in the midst of a clumi) of very 

 small stunted willows, within thirty feet of the spot where ^fr. ^MacFarlane's 

 tent was iiitched. This was on the 21.st of June, but the nest cscajied 

 notice until the 22d of July, wjien the female was almost trodden on as she 

 was sitting on her eggs, where she had probably had her nest during their 

 entire stay. The eggs were warm when taken, and their contcmts were 

 slightly develoi)ed. During the night the male I'tarmigan disturbed the 

 encampment liy keeinng up a con.stant utterance of his rough and rather 

 uni)leasant notes. In another instanc(i the female lluttered off, calling, and 

 pretending to be l)adly wcmnded ; while the male bird, in the vicinity, made 

 his near jire.sence known by the loud manner in which he e.xpres.sed .his 

 disaj)prol)ation of such jtroceedings. 



In one instance where an Indian had found a nest of this I'tarmigan, 

 which then contained seven eggs, the femah^ was seen, and the notes of the 

 male bird were heard. He placed a snare about the eggs, l)ut on returning to 

 the nest a few hours afterwards, he was surprised to fhid that si.\ of the eggs 

 had disappeared during his brief absence. He sui)])o.sed a fox had taken 

 them ; but as no egg-shells were left behind, Mr. MacFarlane has no doubt 

 they Avere removed by the parent birds. 



When the young are hatched they follow the parents, both of whom keep 

 about them, and display great courage and devotion whenever there is any 

 occasion, suffering themselves to be very closely approached, and utterly re- 



