PIARMIGANS. 191 
men, were handed to the half-breed with mstructions to 
take them to camp and cook them for dinner, while we 
continued our tramp in search of more game. We tray- 
elled about half a mile along the line of the forest until 
we came to a deep ravine, and there espied quite a large 
pack which, with wings extended, were fluttering and 
working away, and enjoying a snow-bath just as their 
wood and prairie congeners would enjoy a dust-bath. 
This action proved to us that they were very hot-blooded, 
and that they were full-blooded we had cause to know, 
for they bled most copiously when shot, and made the 
ground Jook as if a terrible slaughter had taken place 
there. While they were ‘‘snowing” themselves, some 
were calling to each other or clucking their sense of en- 
joyment. Their voice was not very pleasant, however, as 
it consisted of a grating or croaking sound which was 
extremely harsh and unmusical. This croaking reveals 
their position very often when they would otherwise re- 
main undetected, especially in foggy weather, and if a 
person is then accompanied by a good dog he may kill 
them easily, as they are loth to take wing. After watch- 
ing the pack for some time, we flushed them—or at least 
as many as we could, for some ran off on foot—and 
bagged three brace with six barrels. Following up those 
which depended on their fleetness to escape, we managed 
to knock over a few more and to force the remainder to 
fly to the forest for safety. 
Picking up the slain, we started after the fugitives, but 
we had not proceeded more than a few yards before we 
were startled by a thundering report behind us, and on 
looking round we saw a mass of snow rushing down the 
mountain side to our right rear. As we were safe where 
we stood, I watched it with much interest, though with 
bated breath, until it disappeared in the canyon, some 
distance below us; but its rambling roar, as it went crash- 
ing down the precipice, greeted our ears for some time 
