28 



believe that its conspicuous color and actions are for the pro- 

 tection of its young. 



AVhen approached, the parent birds perch upon a rock or 

 hillock where their plumage makes them prominent, and by 

 loud cackling, much after the manner of the domestic hen, 

 and by short runs back and forth, endeavor to attract the 

 intruder's attention. In the meantime the young birds 

 attempt to slink to cover unobserved: If their brood is 

 hard pressed, the adults will approach within a few feet, 

 exhibiting every sign of distress. When the young have 

 reached secure cover, the parent birds immediately fly off in 

 the opposite direction, emitting a series of notes which so 

 resemble a deep human laugh as to be positively startling 

 when heard for the first time. 



The color of the young protects them, and when they reach 

 a clump of alder it is quite useless to follow, as tliey sit motion- 

 less and are practically invisible. 



When they have assumed the white plumage of winter and 

 there is no snow, the ptarmigan become very shy and it is 

 next to . impossible to approach within gun-shot of them. 

 When, however, there is snow, they lose all fear and at such 

 times it is almost possible to pick them up in one's hands. 



Lagopus leucurus peninsularis. Kenai White-tailed 

 Ptarmigan. 



This most interesting ptarmigan — new to science — is 

 born and lives its life far. above timber-line, where the bleak 

 and barren mountain sides afford only the rocks for its pro- 

 tection. Indeed, it is astonishing how the birds exist amid 

 such inhospitable surroundings. 



Their color is an exact imitation of their rocky surround- 

 ings and when they remain at rest it is quite impossible to 

 distinguish them, though they may be only a few feet distant. 

 To make the deception complete, they have two partial moults 

 and a complete one during the spring, summer and fall. 



