The Common Ptarmigan 69 
Up in their mountain solitudes in winter they have practically but one neighbour, the 
hill fox, who preys upon them at all seasons. The hill badger, so seldom seen at any time, 
is now fast asleep in his cairn, and the red-deer are away below in the valleys ; but with 
the melting of the snows come the summer visitors in the shape of the ring-ousel, the 
golden plover, the common gull, the wheat-ear, the meadow pipit, the twite, and in a few 
places the beautiful dotterel and the snow-bunting. I had seen all these birds up on 
Ptarmigan ground between the " Sow" of Dalnaspidal and Braemar. In early spring the 
cock Ptarmigan often descend the mountain-side to the 800 feet level, and there sit and 
call, awaiting the rising of the sun. On the first streak of dawn they make short flights up 
hill, and take up positions overlooking a wide space. Here they sit and call and croak to 
each other at intervals. Again they mount higher, and keep on doing so until they have 
reached the regular spots where the females are to be found. About April 20th Ptarmigan 
are paired, and usually begin to lay about May 20th, 1 and sit about June 4th. The nest 
is very similar to the grouse, but unlike that species is generally placed in a very open 
situation, such as rough blaeberry patches, but I have seen one under the shelter of a rock, 
and Mr. Seton Gordon says he found one in deep heather. Ninety per cent, of the nests 
are to be found on a southern slope. They are difficult to find, as the female sits very close. 
During the mating season many female Ptarmigan leave their nests, owing to late snow- 
storms, and I have found eggs laid on the edge of a fresh snowdrift, where a nest was 
doubtless buried. The eggs number from seven to twelve, but eight to nine is the usual 
clutch, and they are often impossible to distinguish from those of grouse. As a rule they 
are smaller, of a more reddish buff colour, with the spots and blotches close together. Size, 
1.7 in. by 1.1 in. I have searched for hours in vain to find a Ptarmigan's nest, and was 
not successful until an old keeper gave me the hint to search only a limit of two hundred 
yards square from the point the cock bird was first flushed. After this I was immediately 
successful, and found three nests in one morning. 2 The nest is merely a scraped hollow. 
There is rarely any lining, but when the female begins to brood she generally lines it with 
her feathers. Since her summer plumage is often incomplete by June 4th, these feathers 
are often pure white, and make the nest at times conspicuous. On occasion she partly 
covers the eggs when she goes to feed, but more frequently the eggs are exposed, and a 
conspicuous object of attraction to any wandering gull or hoodie-crow. In certain parts 
of Aberdeenshire these marauders destroy half the nests in the hills. 
The cock is a most devoted and watchful husband, never going very far from his 
wife, either when sitting or when she has chicks. 3 On being disturbed he flies in a circle 
and alights on the top of a large rock, from which he anxiously regards the intruder. The 
period of incubation is nine days longer than with grouse, perhaps owing to the greater 
cold. During the last few days of sitting the female is very tame, and will sometimes 
allow herself to be stroked or eggs to be taken from beneath her. When she is disturbed 
1 Ptarmigan that have lost their first nests often lay again, sometimes very late in the season. I have seen downy cheepers 
in the middle of August, and have heard of their having been seen in September. 
2 Mr. E. T. Booth relates how, after vainly searching for a Ptarmigan's nest, he found one between the legs of his pony 
as the lunch was being repacked. Another nest was discovered by his dog silting down upon the sitting bird. 
3 When first disturbed the cock grouse often flies right away from his family, and fails to put in an appearance after- 
wards ; whereas I have never once disturbed a female Ptarmigan with young without the male appearing from somewhere and 
doing his best to create a diversion, even at the risk of his life. 
