—II— 



Ptarmig-aiis are not easily domesticated; in 

 truth, I have yet to learn where they have 

 been successfully kept in confinement. When 

 cag-ed they always pine away and succumb. 

 It is quite possible that these birds mig-ht be 

 kept in confinement if g-iven ample space, and 

 if housed at an elevation of 5,000 feet or more, 

 but they cannot be reared in quarters much 

 below the snow line. 



In flig"ht, the Ptarmig-ans are quite like their 

 relatives of the family, but they lack the dash 

 of the ruffed g-rouse, and on g-ood g-rounds for 

 this kind of sport it is not difficult to bag- 

 them. When we consider the unsuspicious 

 nature of the birds, it is a -wonder that all are 

 not killed off, which would be the case were it 

 not for the fact that they select quarters far 

 removed from the selected g-rounds of the 

 averag-e destructive g-unner. 



It is not a difficult matter tog-et close enoug-h 

 to a bird to take a photo, but it is not so easy 

 to have all the conditions correct for a perfect 

 picture. There are many points in the mat- 

 ter of adjustment, lig-ht, etc., which are es- 

 sential, and which are not easy to secure on 

 the instant. No one will understand this 

 point better than a photog-rapher who has 

 tried to take pictures of living- animals in the 

 field. Kalamazoo, Mich. 



Written for The Bittkrx. 



