Mi-.
LAGOPUS MUTUS.
T t m . io I.IGOPl s. vol. I„ 274, ■!,. 4 .-G,n o l, Syit, vol. I , 740.—Tcmiii,, Mon. d'OrollI,, ,„ |. | | , 4I!».-Gravc. Br Ornlll,
vol. ii.-X ,„ „ „ , Tog. Ilool.. (18331, vol. .1 , 401 . - B id , , Sop,,. P . „ j , 24 To,-, p. 3oO.-S.ol,, Appoo. I W , l . t Toy, p ovovll J
Jooyn, .Moo. 11. Vort, A i.l» , p. ITO.-Sdilog, Bo,. Crit. 4o. O k d'Euio, p. "O.-L.otli, Jod. Ondtli, vol i'l p 6,39 ,p 'j -P o b
Rton. Gvovoloiid, p. 114, op. SO.-Mojo, A »-olf. Doot. Togol, p, 20», vol. 1, .... Do.treb, Vog, p.-Ureb ot, Ovilb Bolt, ’
B- 3, p. 252,
BTAKMKUN, Lcuin’s Br. Birds, vois, v. nnd v i , pi, 135.-Lath., Syn., voi. iv., p. 741, sp. 10.-Montag„ Ornitl.. Diet., vol. ii.-Thomp., Nat.
Hist. Ircl., vol. ii., p. 45,—Morris, Hist, of Br. Birds, vol. iii., p. 351, pi. 172,—Penn., Br. Zool., 1812, vol. ! . n 359 i.l 57 —Yn,.,'
Brit. Birds, vol. ii., p. .322. ‘ ' ‘
TETKAO RUPESTRIS. Ooulii, Birds of Eur., jil. Kcmale,
LAGOPUS VULGARIS. Vieill., Nonv. Diet, d'llist. Nat., voi. xvii., p. 199.—Flem., Brit. Anim., p. 43.—Eyton., Cat. Hr. Birds, p 30
YVIIITB GROUSE. Pcim., Arctic Zool., vol. i,, p. 3C0.—Bewick, Br. Birds, vol. i., p 353
LA GELINOTTE BLANCHE. Buff., PI. Enl., t. 129, 494.-Briss.. vol. i., p. 21C.
LE LdVGOPEDE ORDINAIRE. Cuv,, Reg. Auim,, voi. ¡., p. 482, (1829),
LE LAGOPEDE. Biiff, Nat. Hist. Ois., vol, ii., p. .301.
TETRdVS PTARMIGAN. Temm., Pig. et Gailin, vol. iii., p. 185, t. Anat., 10 f. !, 2 et .3.
LAGOPUS ClNERIiUS. McGill. Brit. Birds, vol. ¡., p. 187.
LAGOPUS ALPINUS. N ik , Skand. Faun., vol. ii„ p. 98,—Keys ct Bl.ts. YVirbetii. Eur., p. C3.
TETRAO .VLPINUS. N ik , Oru, Suec., vol. i„ p. 311.—Gloger., Vov. Eur., p, 533.
TETKAO MONTANUS. Brclim, Voy. Deiit.seii, vol. ii., p. 448.
LAGOPUS JIUTUS. Leacii, Cat. of Mam. and Birds, Brit. Mus.. p. 27— Gray, Gen. of Jiiril.s, vol. iii.-Ib ., Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., p. 48, (1844) _
Selby, Brit. Oruitli.. pis. i.ix. and i.x., figs. 1 and 2—Ptepli., Gcu. Zool., vol. xi., p. 287. pi. 21.-Bonp„ Rev. .le I’Ornitb. Eur., i.
173.—Gonld, Birds of Great Britain, Pt, vi.
Tlic coiniium Ptarmigan is a native of the northern portion.« of tbe Old World; and, on account of the many change.« of plumage to
whicli it is subjecteii, has been called by mauy .iifferciit names, founded seemingly upou tlie various localities from wliieli tlie specimens came,
ratlier tliaii upon tbe suffieient reasons usually gii’cii for coiislitutiiig separate specific distiiictioiis.
So many are tlie clianges of dress wliicli tlie«o bir.ls undergo, uii.l so rapidly do tliesc follow eacii otiier. and so astonishingly d., individual,
vary from cacli otiier, that it is utterly inipo.s«il)ie to give a .iescripliou of tlie Lagopus Jlutus, at any season of tlie year, s.iv’e winter, wliicli
for tlie entire sjieeics, Changing aud ever elmiigiiig, in u eoiitinual state of moult, tlie feathers are uo somier'iieiferted tlilii fliey
IV to otliere of ilifferem hue: and tlius, wlieu tiiis moulting, from age or other causes, lioe.« uot coiiimenee uiui tcrminato i'li
dcliiie the species, wiicu oiio is restricted to tlie color nml
111 druw ing my
are obliged to gi
all individual« at Hie same time, it may rcaiiiiy bo imagine.l iiow difficult is tlie
markings of tiii.« mutable, cvaiioseeiit plumage,
Tlic Ptarmigan makes its «bode upou tlic lottiest mouutaius, de«cen.liug in .«iimmer into tlic valleys oiilv for a siiort j.eriod to bred .
Mactiillivray says; "Tlie nest is a sliglit iiollow, scantily strewn witli a few twigs and stalks, or lila.les of gras.«, ' The egg« are of a regular .ival
form, about an iiicIi and seveii-twelflli« in length, an iucli and from one to two-tw-olftlis acro.ss, of a wliitc, yellowish-wliito, or re.l.iish color,
blotclicd and spotted witli dark l.row n. tlic mai kin.gs l;.rger tlian tliose of tlic Red (irou.se. Tlie youiig run about iinmediulelv after leaving
thesbell, and from the eoiiimeiicemeut are so nimble aud expert nt eoneealiiig tliomselves, tliat a per.son who inus uccidciitally f-illoii iu willi I
tlock very seldom succeeds in captuiiiig one. On tlio summit of one of tlio Harris Mountains, I oucc liaii[ieueii to stroll into tiie midst of a
covcy of very young Ptaiaiiigaii, wliicli iiistaiitly scattcre.l and iu a few sceomi« disai>peareil among tlie stone.«, wliile tlie iiu.tlicr ran nl.oat
witliin a few- yards of me, mniiifestiiig tlie mo«t iiitciise anxiety, and preteiidiiig to be imnble lo fly. 8lie sueeeoiid .«o w
atteiitiou to herself, that wlieu I at leugtli I.egau to search for the young, not one of llieni eoiild be luimd, although the pine,
one miglit iiave supposed it impos«il)le for tliem lo e«ca)ie detection."
Ill regar.i to the cliaiigos of )>liiiuage w liicli tliis s|iceies uiulcrgoos, I quote tlio words of Mi-. Wlioelivriglit, tliaii wiioin no one iias liad lietter
opportunities for observing flic.«c l.irds, in Swdeii ami Lapland. He says; "Wlieu we fii-st arrived cm the fells (.Ipril 1C), some of the I’taimigaii
were still iu imre wliite winter dress; olliere were just l.cgimiing to ass.mic tiie siimmor |.lumage, ami liere ami tliere a suiimier leatlier was
shooting oat on the head ami neck, in about a iiioiilli's time many of the .summer feathers had appeared in .liffereiit part- of llio l.o.ly of boll;
males and females, and ain.ut .May 22.1 Hie ovaries of many of tlie females were in a very foi-.vurd state, but Hie cliaiige in pliuuago seeiue.l I.,
go on slowly. On Jiiiio 5tli we t..ok .mr fn-st iie-t, witli ten eggs, ami tlie old female (wliicli I sliot as slic rose), sliowe.i iie.irly as nmcli of Hie
winter as of tlie summer plumage. By .Time HItli Hie males were, liowever, grayisli-l.laek on the liead, back, and cliost, tlie l.clly ami iiii.ier part
pure white ; tlic black color ci.irkest on Hie l.re.ist. Tlic cimiigc from tlie winter to tlic summer drcs.- is a true moull, and not a eliaiigc of color
ill tlic featlicrs. It is most diflieult fo say wlmt is tlie real suiiiiiier dre.ss of tlic Ptarmigan, for tlioy apponr to lie in a caiitiniml stale of change
or moult diiriiig tlie wiiole summer, aud lioar uo one dress for uiiy leiigtii of time; mul so irregular is tlie moult or ciiaiigo. tliat you scareeiy
ever sec two exactly alike or in tiie same state of forwardiie.<«, for in tlie same day in July you may kill some in tlie early suiuiii.T dross, and