A LOVER OF FREEDOM. 
77 
of nest, of a few twigs, coarse grass, or sedge : it is not easily 
found, being placed under some large stone, or stunted bush, 
or tuft of mountain herbage. The eggs are yellowish or 
greenish white, blotched and spotted with dark brown : they 
vary in number from eight to fourteen. The young run 
about as soon as they are hatched, and evince great saga- 
city in the selection of hiding-places. 
The Ptarmigan has never been known to breed in con- 
finement : it pines for the freedom of the hills, and soon 
dies if subject to restraint. It is the smallest of our native 
grouse ; and with us, except the Capercalzie, the least plen- 
tiful. That it is, however, very abimdant in Norway and 
Sweden, we may judge from the fact that a salesman in 
Leadenhall Market has received as many as 15,000 at one 
consignment from those countries. The usual price of 
the bird, in the market of Drammen, is 4d. : here it 
fetches 2s. 
There is a bird called the Rock Ptarmigan (by natu- 
ralists, Rupestris)^ which it seems likely is identical with 
the common species, in one of its varieties of costume ; and 
this brings us to the end of the Grouse family. Our 
readers, we imagine, will think the space well occupied if 
we conclude this chapter with some stanzas from a fine 
poem by * Delta,' of Blackwood' s Magazine : — 
TO A WOUNDED PTATiMIGAN. 
Haunter of the herblcss peak, 
Habitant 'twixt earth and sky, 
Snow-white bird, of bloodless beak, 
Rushing wing, and rapid eye. 
Hath the fowler's fetal aim 
Of thy freeborn rights bereft thee, 
And, 'mid natures curbed or tame 
Thus encaged, a captive left thee ? 
Thou who, earth's low valleys scorning, 
From thy cloud-embattled nest 
Wont to catch the earliest morning 
Sunbeam on thy breast ! 
Where did first the light of day 
See thee bursting from thy shell ? 
Was it where Ben Nevis grey 
Towers aloft o'er flood and fell ? 
