244 
tetraonin^. lagopus. 
the eye, the tail-feathers greyish-black, based and tipped with 
white, the shafts of the primaries brown. Female in winter 
white, the feathers between the bill and the eye black at the 
base only, the tail-feathers brownish-black, based and tipped 
with white, the shafts of the primaries brown. 
In spring, both sexes white, mottled with dark grey and 
yellow feathers, which are barred with black; the wings, 
lower parts, and tail, as in winter. 
In summer, the head, neck, upper parts and sides, spotted 
and barred with yellow and brownish-black ; the wings, lower 
parts, and tail, as in winter. 
In autumn, the plumage of the upper parts and sides finely 
barred with greyish- white and greyish-black ; the head, neck, 
and sides retaining the yellow summer feathers longest ; the 
wings, lower parts, and tail, as in winter. 
Young spotted and barred with yellow and dark brown ; 
wings white, the shafts of the primaries dusky ; tail brown- 
ish-black ; the middle feathers barred with yellow and dark 
grey. 
Male, 15i, 28, 8, Ij, 1, yV Female, 14, 25. 
The Ptarmigan of the Grampians and other mountainous 
regions of the north of Scotland, is very little inferior in size 
to the common Bed Grouse,’^ which it exactly resembles 
in form. It inhabits the higher parts of our more elevated 
mountains, that is, from the height of 3000 feet upwards, 
feeding on Calluna vulgaris, vaccinia, Empetrum nigrum, and 
various alpine plants. Its voice has a close resemblance to 
the croak of a frog. In autumn it collects into large flocks 
or packs, descends from the summits in winter, but never en- 
ters the lower regions. These beautiful birds, as I have else- 
where stated, while feeding, run and walk among the wea- 
ther-beaten and lichen-crusted fragments of rock, from which 
it is very difficult to distinguish them when they remain mo- 
tionless, as they invariably do should a person be in sight. 
Indeed, unless he is directed to a particular spot by their 
strange low croaking cry, one may pass through a flock of 
ptarmigans without observing a single individual, although 
some of them may not be ten feet distant. "When squatted, 
however, they utter no sound, their object being to conceal 
themselves ; and, if you discover the one from which the cry 
has proceeded, you generally find him on the top of a stone, 
ready to spring off the moment you shew an indication of hos- 
tility. If roused, they generally fly off in a loose body, with 
a direct and moderately rapid flight, resembling that of the 
