496 , THE COMMON PTARMIGAN. 



The Rock Ptarmigan {Lagopus rupestris) is identical with the same-iiaiued form in 

 Europe. It is found in tlie colder i)ortions of North America, especially about Melville 

 peninsula. 



The White-tailed Ptarmigan {Lagopus leucuruf<). This species is confined entirely to 

 the region of the Rocky Mountains, inhabiting the highest points. It is common on the snowy 

 range of the Colorado Mountains. It is regarded as an essentially Arctic species, not being 

 met with below the region of snow. But little reliable information is had concerning this bird. 



The Red GnotTSE seems to be exidusively confined to the British Islands, and is found in 

 the north of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, and some of the Channel Islands. The 

 birds of this genus are seimrated from the remainder of the group in consequence of the 

 feathered toes, which are thickly clothed with short plumage, earning thereby the name of 

 Lagopus, or Ilare-footed. 



It inhabits the moors, where heather is in abundance, as it feeds chiefly on the tender 

 leaves of that plant, together with whortleberries, grain, and similar substances. The bird 

 pairs early in the sirring, and makes its nest of grass and ling stems, occasionally interspersed 

 with feathers, and i)laces it on the ground imder the shelter of a heather-tuft. As soon as 

 hatched, the young are able to run about, and are led to feed by both parents. These 

 birds are gi-eatly persecuted l)y spoi'tsmen ; but, in spite of their annual losses, they increase 

 rather than diminish in number, except in seasons when they are suffering greatly from 

 internal parasites. 



The color of the Red Grouse is extremely variable, differing according to the locality or 

 the season of year ; and cream-colored and speckled varieties are most uncommon. The 

 ordinary plumage is as follows : In winter the adult male is chestnut-brown upon the upjier 

 surface, barred and speckled with l)lack, and diversified by a few feathers of light yellowish- 

 brown. The head and neck are also chestnut-brown, but of a warmer tint than the back. 

 Over the eye is a crescent-shaped patch of light scarlet bare skin, slightly fringed above. 

 The tail is brown, with a tinge of red on the central feathers. The breast is brown, and 

 tlie remainder of the under surface and flanks is of the same hue, each feather being 

 ti])ped with white. The short plumage of the legs and toes is grayish-white. In summer 

 the red is lighter, and the body is sprinkled with yellow. The female is smaller and 

 lighter than her mate, with more yellow and less red. In total measurement the male 

 bird is al)out sixteen inches in length. This bird is also called the Red Ptarmigan and the 

 Brown Ptarmigan. 



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The Common PrAUMjaAT^ (Ldgo/n/s m/Jgdrfs-) lielongs to the same genus. This is the 

 smallest of the Eurojjean Giouse, and is found in northern and mountainous Europe, espe- 

 cially in Norway and Sweden, and is also an inhabitant of North America. 



This ))ird has a habit of resorting to stones and broken ground covered with lichens, 

 which so (^xa(;tly harmonize with the colors of its plumage that it is hardly distinguishable 

 from the ground on which it is sitting, and under such circumstances it squats very closely. 

 A i^erson may walk through a flock without seeing a single bird. Mr. McGillivray says : 

 "When squatted, they utter no sound, their object being to conceal themselves; and if you 

 discover the one from which a. cry has proceeded, you generally find him on the top of a stone, 

 ready to si)ring off the moment you show an indication of hostility. If you throw a stone at 

 him, he rises, utters his call, and is iuunediately joined by all the individuals around, which 

 to your surprise, if it be your first rencontre, you see spiing uj:) one by one from the ba-i'e 

 ground." A flock of these birds flitting along the sides of a mountain has a very curious 

 effect, their speckled bodies being hardly visiljle as they sweep along, and when they alight 

 they vanish from view as if by magic. In the winter, too, when the snow lies thickly on the 

 ground, the Ptarmigan assumes a white coat, hardly distinguishable from the snow. When 

 perceived by a hawk, the Ptarmigan has been seen to dash boldly into the deep snow, and to 

 find a refuge under the white covering until its enemy had left the spot. 



