378 Bird -Lore 



But while in the spring molt the feathers of the head, neck, and back are the 

 first to be replaced, in the fall these are the last tracts affected; so that by the 

 middle of October birds are to be seen with dark feathers still predominating 

 in the head and back. This, of course, gives much the same effect as at an 

 early stage of the spring molt. 



The female Ptarmigan selects the site for her nest during the third week of 

 May, and by the second week of June full sets of eggs are the rule. The nest 

 is a slight depression in the moss on the open ground; usuaUy the summit of 

 a hummock is selected, as being a drier situation during the period of early 

 summer rains. There is a scanty lining of dry grasses, to keep the eggs from 

 actual contact with the saturated moss of the foundation. 



The full set of eggs numbers from eleven to thirteen. They are very deeply 

 and closely spotted and blotched with chestnut-brown, the effect being to 

 render them difficult to distinguish from their surroundings, even when lying 

 in plain view but a few feet from the observer. The female bird does all of 

 the sitting, and when approached on the nest does not take fhght until almost 

 trodden upon. She then exhibits the greatest solicitude, tumbling about within 

 a few yards of the intruder in the most distressing manner. The male bird 

 sometimes puts in an appearance, but keeps discreetly at a much greater 

 distance. 



After the eggs are hatched, the precocious youngsters are accompanied 

 by both parents. They then have the faculty, so like that of young Quail and 

 Grouse, of concealing themselves at a moment's notice, while the parents 

 attempt to call the intruder's attention elsewhere. The young are at first 

 clothed with down, of yeUow and brown shades; but before they are half- 

 grown this is entirely replaced by loose-textured feathers, and even before 

 half-grown they are able to fly as readily as the adults. 



In summer, the Willow Ptarmigan's bill of fare includes many sorts of 

 insects, as well as green herbs. In the fall, the abundant crops of blueberries, 

 heathberries, cranberries, and roseapples are freely resorted to, and these 

 fruits become again available the following spring, when the retreating snow 

 leaves them exposed. 



The reader will have already marveled at the special and useful modifica- 

 tions in the habits and structure of the Ptarmigan, which enable it to carry on 

 a successful existence under such an extreme and winter climate. Perhaps the 

 most wonderful thing about the bird is its alternating adaptations to the 

 opposite conditions of the short summer period. Not only is the summer 

 plumage of a totally different general color, as already described, but it is 

 much less dense than the winter plumage. The molts, however, do not affect 

 the feathers of every part of the body. The wing and tail feathers are changed 

 only at the time of the fall molt which, in fact, is the only complete molt. 

 The feathers of the feet and legs are not replaced in the spring; but, as sum- 

 mer advances, the old feathers become brittle and wear off, until midsummer 



