THE COMMON PTARMIGAN. 
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The Rock Ptabmigan {Lag opus rupestris ) is identical with the same-named form in 
Europe. It is found in the colder portions of North America, especially about Melville 
peninsula. 
The White-tailed Ptabmigan {Lagopus leucurus). This species is confined entirely to 
the region of the Rocky Mountains, inhabiting the highest points. It is common on the snowy 
range of the Colorado Mountains. It is regarded as an essentially Arctic species, not being 
met with below the region of snow. But little reliable information is had concerning this bird. 
The Red Gf bouse seems to be exclusively confined to the British Islands, and is found in 
the north of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, and some of the Channel Islands. The 
birds of this genus are separated from the remainder of the group in consequence of the 
feathered toes, which are thickly clothed with short plumage, earning thereby the name of 
Lagopus, or Hare-footed. 
It inhabits the moors, where heather is in abundance, as it feeds chiefly on the tender 
leaves of that plant, together with whortleberries, grain, and similar substances. The bird 
pairs early in the spring, and makes its nest of grass and ling stems, occasionally interspersed 
with feathers, and places it on the ground under the shelter of a heather-tuft. As soon as 
hatched, the young are able to run about, and are led to feed by both parents. These 
birds are greatly persecuted by sportsmen ; but, in spite of their annual losses, they increase 
rather than diminish in number, except in seasons when they are suffering greatly from 
internal parasites. 
The color of the Red Crouse is extremely variable, differing according to the locality or 
the season of year ; and cream-colored and speckled varieties are most uncommon. The 
ordinary plumage is as follows : In winter the adult male is chestnut-brown upon the upper 
surface, barred and speckled with black, and diversified by a few feathers of light yellowish- 
brown. The head and neck are also chestnut-brown, but of a warmer tint than the back. 
Over the eye is a crescent-shaped patch of light scarlet bare skin, slightly fringed above. 
The tail is brown, with a tinge of red on the central feathers. The breast is brown, and 
the remainder of the under surface and flanks is of the same hue, each feather being 
tipped with white. The short plumage of the legs and toes is grayish -white. In summer 
the red is lighter, and the body is sprinkled with yellow. The female is smaller and 
lighter than her mate, with more yellow and less red. In total measurement the male 
bird is about sixteen inches in length: This bird is also called the Red Ptarmigan and the 
Brown Ptarmigan. 
The Common Ptabmigan {Lagopus vulgaris} belongs to the same genus. This is the 
smallest of the European Crouse, and is found in northern and mountainous Europe, espe- 
cially in Norway and Sweden, and is also an inhabitant of North America. 
This bird has a habit of resorting to stones and broken ground covered with Mchens, 
which so exactly harmonize with the colors of its plumage that it is hardly distinguishable 
from the ground on which it is sitting, and under such circumstances it squats very closely. 
A person may walk through a flock without seeing a single bird. Mr. McCillivray says : 
“ When squatted, they utter no sound, their object being to conceal themselves ; and if you 
discover the one from which a cry has proceeded, you generally find him on the top of a stone, 
ready to spring off the moment you show an indication of hostility. If you throw a stone at 
him, he rises, utters his call, and is immediately joined by all the individuals around, which 
to your- surprise, if it be your first rencontre, you see spring up one by one from the bare 
ground.” A flock of these birds flitting along the sides of a mountain has a very curious 
effect, their speckled bodies being hardly visible as they sweep along, and when they alight 
they vanish from view as if by magic. In the winter, too, when the snoAv lies thickly on the 
ground, the Ptarmigan assumes a white coat, hardly distinguishable from the snow. When 
perceived by a hawk, the Ptarmigan has been seen to dash boldly into the deep snow, and to 
find a refuge under the white covering until its enemy had left the spot. 
