126 WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 



The Willow Ptarmigan is an inhabitant of the north of both Europe 

 and America. It home is, however, more especially in Sweden and 

 Norway, Lapland and Greenland. 



In Sweden and Norway it occupies much the same position as the 

 Red Grouse does in our own country. A question was raised in the 

 "Zoologist," in 1858, as to the specific identity of the two birds, by 

 Mr. Norman, of Hull, and an intersting discussion ensued, which, 

 however, appeared to go against such a supposition. In the present 

 day it is more difficult than ever to define the character of species. 

 Grant says that "species mongers" have been destroyed, for ever by 

 the all-powerful wand of Mr. Darwin. I for one, however, refuse to 

 submit to a dogma of this kind, and will take the liberty of considering 

 the Tetrao saliceti as a species perfectly distinct from that of T. 

 scoticus. Its affinities are more with the Ptarmigan than with the 

 Red Grouse, but it is distinct from both. The late Mr. H. Doubleday 

 endorses my opinion. See some excellent remarks by that gentleman 

 in the "Zoologist," for May, 1875. 



Much as I was indebted to Mr Wheelwright for his notes about 

 the Hazel Grouse, I am still more obliged to him for the very valuable 

 account with which he has favoured me of the present bird. Living 

 as he does in their own country, Mr. W.'s experience is valuable, and 

 his well-known contributions to natural history entitle his remarks to 

 our respect. Like the last contribution the present one is filled up 

 where deficient from Nilsson. 



"The Willow Grouse is found in Scandinavia, from the very north 

 of Finmark down to about 60° north latitude. They are met with 

 in North Wermerland throughout the whole year, but never further 

 south than Lake Fryken, unless indeed they are driven down by snow, 

 when an odd one may even occasionally be shot in Bohus Land and 

 Upland. They are not met wdth near Christiana in the summer. 



They never go up to the real fells or such rocks as rise above the 

 limits of vegetation. When we go down from the fell tops we find 

 the Dal Eipa first in that region which is clothed with willow bushes 

 and fell birch, f Betula nana,) and especially in the lower tracts, 

 where the birch f Betula alha,) first appears and forms low forests. 

 Below this we rarely meet with them, and only when the young can 



In this above-mentioned sub-alpine region the Dal Ripa in summer 

 is usually found in valleys, mostly by the side of the little becks or 

 mountain streams which run among the bushes and thickets. You 

 always find them in pairs or families with the male and female together. 

 You not only find them, according to Nilsson, in the interior of the 



