146 The Ptarmigan Family 



age and feathers, and it invariably is far up the 

 mountain. The average number of eggs is about 

 nine. They are buff, spotted and blotched with 

 dull brown. The chicks are white and slaty brown 

 arranged in stripes. The mother will give battle 

 valiantly in their defence, acting not unlike an 

 angry domestic fowl. But one brood is raised in 

 a season. The food is insects and foliage, and 

 the flesh is light-colored and, when young, excel- 

 lent. The winter food is buds and foliage of the 

 native evergreens. The full summer plumage is 

 rarely seen before the first of July, and by October 

 it is changing to the white. About February, or 

 early in March, the spotless dress is at its best. 

 At the approach of winter the broods of a district 

 frequently join forces in a packlike formation. 

 I have seen forty or fifty together, and heard the 

 miners speak of packs of several hundreds ; this, 

 however, is hearsay, and perhaps one hundred 

 birds together would be a large pack. During 

 rough weather the birds will go under the snow ; 

 in fact, they will hide in snow whenever it is 

 available. While certainly no quarry for a " one- 

 lung," or a boudoir sportsman, this attractive bird 

 is well worth the attention of any sturdy Nimrod 

 who may find himself among the mountains with 

 sufficient spare time to work himself into proper 

 condition. The range of the white-tailed ptarmi- 

 gan includes the high mountains from the Liard 



