THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
with their plaintive ee-ac until one of the latter approaches to within a 
few paces of the rock on which a cock is standing with his neck stretched 
to its fullest extent, and tail raised and expanded. 
“ Being now pleased with the success of his music, he turns round and 
round, and literally ‘ spreads himself,’ to use an Americanism, until 
such time as he flies off the rock and commences the love -chase. 
“ Ptarmigan do not fight nearly so much as grouse, or even partridges, 
but a cock whose reiterated calls have received no response from the fair 
sex, often leaves his post and proceeds in search of a mate, of course 
having to trespass on the grounds of one of his adjacent rivals to do so. 
This is naturally resented at once by the rightful proprietor, and a fight 
ensues, the various phases of which are similar to grouse-combats in 
their character. As often as not the intruder gets the best of it, in which 
case the hen manifests no uneasiness as to her change of masters, and 
rather enjoys the fight while it lasts, running round and round the com- 
batants, uttering her one querulous cry. 
“ The pairing -season being over by the middle of May, the hen selects 
her nesting -place, which is jealously guarded by the male.” 
The nest is unusually difficult to find, for the hen bird sits very closely, 
and so nearly matches her surroundings in colour that she is very easily 
overlooked. 
Nest . — ^A hollow is selected as a nesting-site, generally in an open 
position with a southern aspect, among the low stunted plants, such 
as cranberry, cloudberry, dwarf azalea and Silene acaulis, where lichen - 
covered fragments of rock lie scattered about on the desolate mountain 
tops. Sometimes the bird scrapes out a shallow cavity in the ground 
for this purpose, but as often as not a natural depression is used as a 
nest, and slightly lined with a little dead grass or with any small pieces 
of dry material available and a few feathers. 
About the middle or end of May, or even in June in late seasons, 
from eight to ten, or even twelve, eggs are laid. As many as seven- 
teen have been found, but these are probably the produce of more than 
one hen. 
Eggs . — ^The eggs are much like those of the red grouse in appearance, 
but the ground-colour is usually lighter, being pale brownish -white or 
brownish -buff, and the dark brown surface -blotches and markings are 
less numerous. The average measurements of eggs of this species are 
V7 inch by 1*1 inch. Incubation lasts about twenty -four days. The young 
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