430 RASORES. LAGOPUS. Ptarmigan. 



The female varies from the male bird in having the brown 

 of a lighter tint, and more varied with ochreous-yellow, 

 and yellowish-white. 



COMMON PTARMIGAN. 



Lagopvs mutus, Leach. 

 PLATE LIX. Figs. 2, and LXIX •. 



Tetrao Lagopus, Linn. Svst. 1. p. 274. 4 Faun. Suec. No. 203 — Gmel. 



Sjst. 1. p. 749.— y^rtu Sjn. p. 55. b—Will. p. 127 Briss. 1. p. 21G. 12. 



Le Lagopede, Buff. Ois. v. 9. p. 2(>4. t. 9 — Id. PI. Enl. 129- female in win- 



ter plumage, and PL 494. female assuming tbe summer plumage. 

 L'Attages blanc, Bnff. Ois. v. 2. p. 2G2. 

 Tetras Ptarmigan, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. v. 2. p. 468 Id. Pig. et Gall. 



V. 3. p. 185. t. anat. 10. f. 1. 2. and 3. 

 Haassenfiissige Waldhuhn, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. v. 3. p. 1347 — Meyer, 



Tasschenb. Deut. v. 1. p. 298 Id. Vog. Deut. v. 2. t. Heft. 19. winter 



and summer plumage. 



Ptarmigan, Br. Zool. 1. No. 95. t. 43 Arct. Zool. 2. p. 315. D — Lewin's 



Br. Birds, 4. t. 134 — Lath. Syn. 4. p. 741. 10 Wale. Syn. 2. t. 182 — 



Mont. Ornith. Diet — Id. Supp — Do7i. Br. Birds, 1. t. 12. 

 White Grous, Bewick'' s Br. Birds, 1. p. t. 303. old male. 



According to Pennant and earlier writers, this species 

 seems, at one period, to have inhabited some of the moun- 

 tainous ridges of Cumberland and Westmoreland. — It is 

 now, however, totally extinct in England, and is only found 

 in the Highlands of Scotland and its isles. It lives on the 

 highest mountains, particularly those of which the summits 

 are covered with fragments of rock ; and, by resembling these 

 (amongst which it is always found) so closely in colour, it is 

 enabled to escape its numerous inferior enemies, and even, in 

 a great degree, to escape the piercing eye of the Eagle. It 

 is not of the shy nature that characterises the Red Grous, but 

 will permit of a near approach ; indeed, so unwary is it, as 

 frequently to be knocked down with a stick by the shepherds. 

 J^ggs- — It pairs early in spring, and the female lays her eggs upon 

 the bare ground amongst the stones. They ai-e in nmnber 

 from eight to fourteen or fifteen, of an oblong form, larger 



1 



