Class II. PTARMIGAN. 361 



black, and tipt with white; the two next black 

 slightly marked with white at their ends, the 

 rest wholly black; the feathers incumbent on 

 the tail white, and almost entirely cover it. 

 The length of these birds is near fifteen inch- 

 es; the extent twenty-three; the weight nine- 

 teen ounces. 



Ptarmigans are found in these kingdoms 

 only on the summits of the highest hills of the 

 Highlands of Scotland and of the Hebrides; and 

 a few still inhabit the lofty hills near Keswick in 

 Cumberland. They live amidst the rocks perch- 

 ing on the grey stones, the general color of the 

 strata in those exalted situations : they are very 

 silly birds, so tame as to bear driving like poul- 

 try; and if provoked to rise take very short 

 flights, in a small circuit like pigeons : they 

 taste so like a grous as to be scarcely distin- 

 guished ; and like them keep in small packs ; 

 they never take shelter in the heath, but be- 

 neath loose stones. 



These birds are called by Pliny, Lagopi, 

 their feet being clothed with feathers to the 

 claws, as the hare's are with fur : the nails are 

 long, broad and hollow : the first circumstance 

 guards them from the rigor of the winter ; the 

 latter enables them to form a lodge under the 

 snow, where they lie in heaps to protect them- 



