THE SCOTTISH PTARMIGAN. 



865 



Mi 



but primaries with black shafts. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult July-Sept. Winter. — A partial moult which 

 merges into the previous moult* takes place Sept-Dec. involving 

 all body -feathers except lower-breast, belly and legs and toes which 

 are apparently moulted only once but moult in these regions is not 

 completed with rest of moult to autumn and continues after winter 

 moult has commenced, inner median and greater coverts and inner- 

 most secondary are moulted, but not rest of wings nor tail though 

 outer primaries are not 

 quite complete and cen- 

 tral tail-feathers usually 

 still have sheaths when 

 moult to winter com- 

 mences. Whole body- 

 plumage (including 

 upper and under tail- 

 coverts) white except 

 for a broad black 

 band through lores,, 

 narrow line over and 

 under eye and broad 

 patch behind eye, fea- 

 thers of which are 

 slightly tipped white ; 

 feathering of tarsus and 

 toes white and long ; 



tail and wings as autumn but all wing-coverts white. N.B. — 

 Usually a few autumn body -feathers here and there are retained. 

 Summer. — A moult involving all upper -parts, upper tail-coverts, 

 throat and breast and varying number of feathers of chin, flanks, 

 under tail-coverts, inner median and greater coverts and innermost 

 secondary takes place March to June but rest of plumage is not 

 moulted and here and there on upper -parts and breast a few white 

 winter feathers may be retained. Crown black more or less barred 

 rufous-buff, feathers narrowly tipped white ; back of neck broadly 

 barred black and white or buff ; rest of upper -parts including upper 

 tail-coverts buffish-grey with varying amount of yellowish -buff, 

 closely barred and vermiculated black -brown, many feathers 

 narrowly fringed white and some of those of mantle with uniform 

 black-brown basal portions not entirely concealed ; lores black ; chin 

 white with a few black spots or bars ; ear-coverts, sides of neck and 

 upper-throat barred like back of neck ; lower-throat and upper- 

 breast black-brown, feathers tipped white and with varying amount 

 of yellow-buff and sometimes white bars ; sides of breast and 

 flanks same but closely barred and vermiculated yellowish-buff ; 

 rest of under-parts as winter but usually some under tail-coverts 



Feet of adult male of the Scottish Ptarmigan (Lagopus 

 m. millaisi). A. summer B. winter. 



* Iii September one finds not infrequently both autumn and winter 

 feathers side by side in various stages of growth. — H.F.W. 



VOL. II. 3 K 



