The Common Ptarmigan 67 
storm, unaccompanied by wind, forces them to lower levels, or even causes them to 
migrate to snow-free ridges on other mountains. 
No British game birds, not even grouse, are so influenced by atmospheric con- 
ditions as Ptarmigan. After a spell of fine sunny weather they are so tame that 
shooting them with dogs is not a very high-class sport ; but even then they are not 
easy to find, owing to their crouching habits and, the invisible grey of the plumage. 
If very closely approached, the old cock, who always remains with the covey in Sep- 
tember, is nearly sure to call attention to his presence by suddenly springing up and 
running to a jutting point of rock and calling " Ptar," or "err-err." The rest of the 
covey then squat and stand round him, or run swiftly amongst the boulders. When 
slightly alarmed they nearly always jerk the head forward and quiver the tail, some- 
times jerking the primaries, which hang low. At such times I have often shot them 
with my catapult. An Indian who accompanied me in Newfoundland was a deadly 
shot with a stone, a pocketful of which he always carried for the purpose of killing 
willow grouse. In boisterous weather their attitude towards man is that of extreme 
shyness. Even before wet weather Ptarmigan are often unapproachable for days, and 
they rise far out of shot and take long flights. They are also terribly frightened of 
the golden eagle, which makes them one of his principal sources of food, and on hills 
where they are subject to constant disturbances from these large birds they are always 
very wild. One covey rising sets all the others on the move. Whilst deer-stalking at 
Rothiemurchus a few years ago, I saw a golden eagle preceded by at least seventy 
Ptarmigan, probably the entire stock of the hill. They are very home-loving birds, 
and when food is plentiful will stay for years about the same mountain ; but that they 
will migrate to other ranges there is no doubt. 1 Their actual wing power — and they 
are furnished with larger wings in proportion to the body than any other British 
game bird — is very considerable. They will ascend and descend perpendicular slopes 
of several hundred feet without apparent effort, and no other game bird I know of can 
do so. Even the young, no bigger than thrushes, can do this. It is common to see 
a covey of Ptarmigan rise and suddenly shoot straight up or down a chasm and dis- 
appear from view, this being the subject of the beautiful drawing Mr. Thorburn has 
executed for these pages. Their wing power in making sudden turning movements is 
equally remarkable. I have seen old female Ptarmigan adopt a stratagem to attract 
their broods that I have not seen described in any book. If she is flushed singly 
and the young (even if full grown) do not follow at once, she flies straight away for 
about 200 yards, and then suddenly shoots up into the air for 20 or 30 feet, at the 
same time calling loudly " ack — ack — ack," or " ee-ack," to attract their attention. I 
have seen this done repeatedly. Under ordinary circumstances they rise and fly much 
like grouse, but swing up and down and in and out of hollows and corries with 
greater ease. When flushed from a top they sail out over space, and then take a 
sudden dive and a swing towards the rocks, conforming to the contour of the moun- 
tain. Except in bad weather and during the pairing season they are quiet in their 
movements, and sit or strut about in parties, the long-drawn cry of the cock often 
1 A Ptarmigan has been killed on St. Kilda. In Labrador great migrations of L. rupestris takes place, extending over 
hundreds of miles. 
