TKTUA(»NII).K-riIH (iUorsK. 461 



j,'imll(;.ss of ('.(inseiiucnct'.s in llirir dcsiio to huvo tlioir youiij,'. The. lattiT 

 Hi'o vt'iy Iiivrtl to rccojiiii/i', owiiii; to ilioir floso rt'st'iubliiiicu to llic ^'luss, in 

 wiiicli tiiciy sniiiit, and rt'iuaiii ipcricctly still. 



In St;|)t(Miil)('i' iind Octolicr of wuli season tlu;so I'tanni^nms aHsundilc in 

 liirgo Hocks, !>ut diirin,!:,' winlt:i' si-ldoni nioru than two or tlirec do/un wore 

 ever noticed in sin;,'k' companies. Tlicy would ol'tcn alijj;Iit and t'eeil in the 

 inmiediixte presence of the men, and would evcni permit a very near approach. 

 Duriiif,' the winter they wer(! fre(iuently to be met with hetween Fort An- 

 derson and Fort (iood llopi', in especial abundani:e about the last-mentioned 

 post. A.s the sprinj,' apjtroached, they hojfau to iniji;rate to the north; so that 

 in the summer .scarcely a I'tarmi^'an was to be .seen .south of Lockhart Iliver, 

 on their usual line of march to that post. In February, 18.")'.), Mr. MaeFar- 

 lan(! found them numerous to the very bordin's of the woodeil country, alonj^ 

 the banks of the Lower Andiu'son. 



jMr. Donald (iunn states that this Ptarmit^an is very sol(h)m to bo .seen 

 south or west of Lake Winnijieg, but is found in all the country north and 

 ea.st of that lake duriu},' the winter season. In the summer they are said to 

 breed arouml Hudson's ]Jay, and durinj,' the winter to bo found alonj; the 

 whole extent of that bay, especially if the winter is mihl. Duriufj; severe 

 winters they yo more inland. The males of this sjita'ies are said by ^^r. 

 Guun to crow morninLj and evening in the same maimer as the Moor-fowl 

 in Scotland, the tone and notes being very similar. The femah; is .said to lay 

 from ten to si.xteen eggs, Ijut the largest nundier taken by Mr. MacFarlane 

 ai)2)ears to have lieen ten. The.se birds are of great service to the Indians, 

 serving as food when larger game fails ; and their feathers are alsf» a con- 

 sideral)le article of trade, .several hundredweight of them being annually 

 sent to London. 



Mr. Dall found this I'tarmigan abundant in Alaska, from Fort Yukon to 

 the sea. In winter they feed exclusively on willow buds, a double-handful 

 having often been found in their crops. As soon as the ground was well 

 covered with snow they appeared on the river in coveys among the willow- 

 thickets. They were rather shy, and on an alarm ilew immediately, but 

 without noise. Tluiy made regular paths along the banks of the river 

 among thi' willows, along which they always ran. The Indians took advan- 

 tage of these to snare them, and caught vhem by hundreds. They were 

 abundant in the fall and midwinter. In February they gathered in im- 

 mense flocks, and disajipeared, no one could tell where, returning about the 

 middle of March as suddenly as they had gone away, remaining a few 

 weeks, then resorting to the mountains and oj)en country to breed. In 

 18G7 they disappeared February lo and returned April 1, leaving for the 

 mountains ]\Iay ;i. The following year they left February 10, returned 

 March 21, and left for the mountains April 28, going and coming in large 

 flocks. They begin to moult about the mitldle of April, the feathers of the 

 head, edges of wings, and upper tail-coverts, changing first. At this time 



