The Willow Ptarmigan 
3 
But while in the spring molt the feathers of the head, neck, and back are the 
first to be replaced, in the fall these are the last tracts affected; so that by the 
middle of October birds are to be seen with dark feathers still predominating 
in the head and back. This, of course, gives much the same effect as at an 
early stage of the spring molt. 
The female Ptarmigan selects the site for her nest during the third week of 
May, and by the second week of June full sets of eggs are the rule. The nest 
is a slight depression in the moss on the open ground; usually the summit of 
a hummock is selected, as being a drier situation during the period of early 
summer rains. There is a scanty lining of dry grasses, to keep the eggs from 
actual contact with the saturated moss of the foundation. 
The full set of eggs numbers from eleven to thirteen. They are very deeply 
and closely spotted and blotched with chestnut-brown, the effect being to 
render them difficult to distinguish from their surroundings, even when lying 
in plain view but a few feet from the observer. The female bird does all of 
the sitting, and when approached on the nest does not take flight until almost 
trodden upon. She then exhibits the greatest solicitude, tumbling about within 
a few yards of the intruder in the most distressing manner. The male bird 
sometimes puts in an appearance, but keeps discreetly at a much greater 
distance. 
After the eggs are hatched, the precocious youngsters are accompanied 
by both parents. They then have the faculty, so like that of young Quail and 
Grouse, of concealing themselves at a moment’s notice, while the parents 
attempt to call the intruder’s attention elsewhere. The young are at first 
clothed with down, of yellow and brown shades; but before they are half- 
grown this is entirely replaced by loose-textured feathers, and even before 
half-grown they are able to fly as readily as the adults. 
In summer, the Willow Ptarmigan’s bill of fare includes many sorts of 
insects, as well as green herbs. In the fall, the abundant crops of blueberries, 
heathberries, cranberries, and roseapples are freely resorted to, and these 
fruits become again available the following spring, when the retreating snow 
leaves them exposed. 
The reader will have already marveled at the special and useful modifica¬ 
tions in the habits and structure of the Ptarmigan, which enable it to carry on 
a successful existence under such an extreme and winter climate. Perhaps the 
most wonderful thing about the bird is its alternating adaptations to the 
opposite conditions of the short summer period. Not only is the summer 
plumage of a totally different general color, as already described, but it is 
much less dense than the winter plumage. The molts, however, do not affect 
the feathers of every part of the body. The wing and tail feathers are changed 
only at the time of the fall molt which, in fact, is the only complete molt. 
The feathers of the feet and legs are not replaced in the spring; but, as sum¬ 
mer advances, the old feathers become brittle and wear off, until midsummer 
