fe;mai.e and three young oe the rock ptarmigan 
The subdued and grayish-brown plumage make a photograph of the four birds difficult 
without a background of white 
Photos by George Shiras, 3rd 
FEMALE ROCK PTARMIGAN, PHOTOGRAPHED AT ElVE EEET 
"The hen had two warning notes for the young, one causing them to remain stock still or 
crouch wherever they happened to be— and so faithful was the obedience that I could pick 
the young up — and another note, Avhich caused the young to immediately seek an overhead 
protection, either beneath the broken rocks or under the rims of snow or ice. Once I saw 
seven small ptarmigan run beneath the edge of a block of ice, and all I could see was the 
projecting row of small black bills ; and in another case the young bird, alarmed by the 
mother's note, squeezed in between my shoes and remained there until relieved by a reassur- 
ing call" (see pages 456, 457). 
