. American game-bird shooting . ut are mottled with brownish. They become whitewith moulting, however. The sub-species, peninsularis, inhabits the alpinemountains of central Alaska, northern Yukon, N. , south to Cook Inlet, Kenai Peninsula andsouthern Yukon. In all America, the especial home of the grouse,there is no prettier member of this family than thewhite-tailed ptarmigan. Like all its kind, it loves thecold and snow, but, unlike the other American mem-bers of the group, it substitutes altitude for latitudeand is an inhabitant of the lofty mountains of theWest, from central Al
. American game-bird shooting . ut are mottled with brownish. They become whitewith moulting, however. The sub-species, peninsularis, inhabits the alpinemountains of central Alaska, northern Yukon, N. , south to Cook Inlet, Kenai Peninsula andsouthern Yukon. In all America, the especial home of the grouse,there is no prettier member of this family than thewhite-tailed ptarmigan. Like all its kind, it loves thecold and snow, but, unlike the other American mem-bers of the group, it substitutes altitude for latitudeand is an inhabitant of the lofty mountains of theWest, from central Alaska and northern Yukon southto Washington and New Mexico. Here on the veryedge of perpetual snowfields, not far from some brawl- 193 194 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING ing ice-fed torrent, and within the sound of the roar ofavalanche and the thunder of glacier, the little ptarmi-gan spends his life, seldom disturbed by enemies. In summer he wears a livery of black and clay color,which harmonizes so well with the rocks among which. WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN his life is passed that it is most difficult to see him,if he wishes to remain unseen and does not move;while in winter, as he journeys over the frozen wastes,his plumage is as white as the snows on which hewalks. His must be a contented, care-free life, for hehas few enemies to fear. The sneaking coyote andthe stealthy wild cat seldom visit his mountain soli- WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN 195 tudes. Rarely the eagles broad pinions cast their darkshadow over snowfield and rock slope, but the eagleis generally in search of larger game, the tender youngof the big horn or of the white goat. The great bearsthat in early summer prowl over the range, looking forthe young grass or digging out mice, or later pick-ing the luscious huckleberries, do not give a thoughtto the ptarmigan, unless by chance they stumble onher nest, when it suffers the fate of every thing eatablethat comes in Bruins way. Of all the animals of the mountains, the one thatt
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecthunting, bookyear1910
