mill' from the summit. Ken we were forced to wait sums time for daylight before crossing into tlie nextcorrie,
where tho birds would probably be found If the spit was sufficiently sheltered. When day fairly broke,
all the lops were enveloped in mist, and on crossing into the gully it was obviously useless to search that part
for birds, as tho wind blew with irresistible force and tbo snow drifted in every direction. We were
first saluted with a regular whirlwind of frozen snow and small particles of ice, which completely blinded us
Air some time, and while in that unpleasant predicament, were nearly swept off our legs by a furious gust that
came roaring round the hill, carrying a duck of unfortunate Snow-Buntings nearly into our faces. We nest
turned further cast to try if it was possible to find some shelter in that direction. While crossing the.
intervening space (a mass of snow, with here and there a patch of broken and exposed rocks) a brace or TWO
of birds were started ; these being all excessively backward were allowed to escape. Immediately on gaining
a sheltered corrie, three birds, as white as the snow they rose from, got up close by ; but struggling in a drift
of newly fallen snow, I was unable to lire. We watched them for some time till they were lost in the
mist, which had nearly descended to the line we weru following. In a few moments they again came in view
through a break in the clouds, and were marked down in a patch of broken moss. 1 bad not gone fifty
yards in their direction, before two mure birds were detected feeding among some stones where the ground
was almost bare. Not the slightest notice was taken of our approach till we were within half a dozen yards
of them; and being able to examine their plumage closely, I satisfied myself that, as spisrimens, they
were of no use. On arriving at the spot where the three birds had pitched, they were nowhere to ho s_-en ;
but hearing loud croaking close at hand, 1 kept following the sound, when a dozen bird* at least sprung
within ten yards at the very moment the coating or snow aud ice covering a small gully gave way and let mo
down to the bottom, a distance of ten or twelve feet. Fortunately tho snow was soft aud dry, and on
being extricated by the gillies, I followed in the line taken by the puck, coining suddenly on six or seven birds
feeding, without the slightest suspicion of danger, among some Hue gravel and plants from which they bad
sernped the snow. A male and female, both perfectly white, were among them; but all drawing together as
they ruse (though two fell to the first barrel, aud one to the second), tho female only was secured, the two
others killed being exceedingly backward.
" Blinding squalls now followed one another in rapid succession, and the snow commencing to drift in a
most dangerous manner, we decided that it was the safest plan to leave the high ground as speedily as
possible. Though having worked hard, with merely a nip of mountain-dmv by way of refreshment, for several
hours, no halt was made till the shealiug was reached. Here, after lunching, we remained for sume time in
hopes of the wealher improving; the longer, however, we waited the worse grew the storm. At last, as the
da; light began to fade, we started homewards, and only just in time, as on reaching the luw ground we fuund
the newly fallen snow a foot deep and drifting fust."
Though repeatedly passing severe winters in the north, I never met with Ptarmigan at a low elevation on
the incurs or mountain-slopes. The tups and hii-her ranges are at times almost entirely deserted when the
snow is frozen to the consistency of ice. The packs under such circumstances frequent hill-sides, where at
other seasons they are seldom or never observed. White Grouse evidently cling with true Highland
pertinacity to their native mouulain homes. But one solitary instance of these birds appearing on the low
grounds has i c to my knowledge, A keeper in the west of Perthshire informed me that his father, a small
farmer in the upper pail of Glenlyon, many years ago, during an exceedingly cold and protracted winter,
discovered a pack of seven or eight birds in his barn-yard : the old man, I learned, always spoke of it a* a
remarkable occurrence and a proof of the extraordinary severity of the weather.
Tho nest iff the Ptarmigan is invariably found near the summits of the highest lulls. Here, among the
misls and clouds, and nut nufrequeut snuw-squalls, withaut a neighbour save the Dotterel, Suow-Bunliug, or
blue hare, this hardy bird passes the summer, till driven by the storms to seek shelter from the wintry blasts
in the more sheltered rorries at n lower elevation. Ptarmigan would doubtless increase were it not for the
tribute they are forced to pay to the mountaiu-fox and Ilavcn. A bird or two may occasionally fall victims
tothcEagle; but the depredations cnoiinilteil by the king or the air have, ace irding to my own observations,
little effect in thinning down their numbers. The nest and eggs are by no means easily discovered ; though
frequently seandied for, I never had the luck to meet with a nest except by accident. At last, after many
unsuccessful attempts, three nests were fuund within a few hundred yards of one another on tin' hills above
Glenlyon, in the north-west uf Perthshire. A few extracts from RAY notes for June 1SII7. while engaged in
procuring specimens in summer plumage, will describe the retiring aud artful habits of the female and the
noisy and demonstrative actions of the male at that season :—
" Having repeatedly gone over the ground within eight or leu mill's of the lud^e without success, I at
length determined to search the land belonging to some adjoining -diallings, over which I hail liberty to
hunt for any specimens required. Accompanied by one keeper anil a gillie leading a pony with provisions
and plaids in case we did not get back that night, an early start was effected, the lodge being let! at daybreak.
By mid-day several of the rough lulls lying lietwccu Loch Rauuoch and the Lyon had lieen closely examined
without success. Liming started but a single female after about ten hours' work, we came to the conclusion, as
heavy thunder was rumbling away among the bills to the west, and there appeared every indication or an
approaching tempest, that it would be the wisest plan tu return home and renew our search in more favourable
weather. While resting for a short time after lunch on the lop of the hill before turning back, we were
surprised by a shot, and on looking with the glasses far lielow ns, three men with about a dozen dogs
were discerned attempting to bolt a fox from a rough cairn of stones. We afterwards learned that although
the foxes had been there very lately, as was clearly indicated by the remains of some fresh Grouse and hares
which the terriers drasned from the earth, none of the family were then at home. The shot had been lired at
a young Raven, hatched in the rocks above the fox-cairn. The old birds WON very noisy, circling round aud
round in the air aliove their nest, hut being tuo good judges of distance to venture within shot, unfortunately
pseaped. Almost at the same moment a fine cock Ptarmigan appeared on a large ruck close by ; here he
stationed himself for some time, croaking loudly, and going through various amusing antics, pulling out his
feathers, spreading bis tail, and showing himself off to the greatest advantage. As he resolutely refused
to leave the spot, running only a yard or two in advance when approached, we searched every inch uf the
ground, which was almost a mass of large stones, without putting up the female; it was, however, evident
from the actions of the male that she was close at hand. I also tried a brace of steady setters, brought uphill
by way of an experiment though 1 had not iniieh faith that they would lie of any sen ice, I )n lot Hilling to
the lunching-place we discovered the three men (who were soon recognized as two keepers aud a shepherd)
coming in our direction. While making their way uphill, the ruin which had been threatening some lime
came down in torrents, and the thunder becoming more distant, the afternoon turned cold, a dense mist drilling
up with the wind.
"The keepers were agreeably surprised on ascertaining the identity of the intruders on their beat,
especially ns they carried neither meat nor drink, and needed but little pressing to commence operations on what
we were able to provide them with. When Iheir hunger was ap)>eased, finding they were desirous of the
assistance or an additional gun whilst trying another large cairn where they expected to find the cubs missed
down the hill, I agreed to finish the day with them. As the top of the hill was nothing but rocks and stones
piled on the top of one another, w e w an forced to li nve the pony w hen' we had lunched. Our course- was nowkept
north, as the earth we were going to was on the Rannoeh side of the bill. One hollow we pOMed through
seemed alive with Ptarmigan, the cocks were Hying anil croaking in all directions; but as no hens were started