WILLOW PTARMIGAN 179 
lay no more unless she selects a new location, which, 
of course, would be difficult to ascertain. 
“T cannot speak accurately on the subject, but think 
that seventeen days are required to incubate the eggs. 
On the 20th of June I obtained a young bird of this 
species, which was less than forty-eight hours out of 
the shell. This was the earliest record. Thousands 
of these young must perish annually, either from the 
cold rains or from their parents being killed for food. 
. . . After the middle of August the birds have ac- 
quired a good size and are then feeding on berries of 
various kinds. They are then quite tender, of nearly 
white flesh, and when properly prepared form a pleas- 
ant food for the table. The young birds of the year 
attain their full growth by the first of November.” 
It thus seems that this ptarmigan is monogamous, a 
pair mating and remaining together through the breed- 
ing season, the male taking part in the care of the 
young, showing a strong attachment for them and 
being devoted to the female. 
The food of this species consists chiefly of the buds 
and leaves of various willows and birches, as well as 
berries of different sorts, which during the summer 
are exceedingly abundant in that country. The eggs, 
like those of other ptarmigan, are cream-colored as to 
groundwork and are marked with blotches, spots and 
cloudings of reddish and dark brown, often entirely 
covering the ground color. Captain Bendire tells us 
that all these markings are readily removable from the 
freshly laid egg. 
