File:Game birds and shooting-sketches - illustrating the habits, modes of capture, stages of plumage and the hybirds and varieties which occur amongst them (1894) (14563151319).jpg

Identifier: gamebirdsshootin00mill (find matches)
Title: Game birds and shooting-sketches : illustrating the habits, modes of capture, stages of plumage and the hybirds & varieties which occur amongst them
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Millais, John Guille, 1865-1931
Subjects: Grouse Game and game-birds Hunting
Publisher: London : H. Sotheran
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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ning ofAugust. Noveinber.—A few of the old feathers of the autumnremain on the back, and one or two on the licad.Those on the back have, by the 15th of thismonth, become so pale that the small 1)1 ackmarkings across them can hardly be discerned,but those on the head and neck do not fademuch. At this season most of the birds willhave cast the last of these old feathers, andwill stand complete in their new winter dress,in which they continue until the end of Feb-ruary. Decemher.—The different plumages noted in thepreceding month may be more or less normal,but during this month many birds, especiallythe cocks, retain throughout the winter a largeamount of the autumn feathers on the back.One that I received on December 31, 1890, fromWest Ross-shire, is figured as an example of this,and may be taken as a typical specimen, thoughsomewhat dark. In December the average ofpure white birds is about one in four, but insevere winters they vary materially, and all theliirds may l)e pure white.
Text Appearing After Image:
PTARMIGAN 181 Of course in (lescribino; the various chano-es in theplumage of the Ptarmigan that take place during thedifferent months there can be no fixed rule for sayingthat the l;)ird will be in such and such a plumage to aday : l^ut the rule will ))e found to be correct to within afortnight of the time specified, wdiicli will give enoughlateral range either way for the birds to be premature orlate in their feather-casting, as that varies entirely accord-ing to the season. For instance, in winters commencingvery severely with much snow, I have seen Ptarmigan infull winter plumage on 1st November; and in mild andwarm winters it is not at all unusual to see them retainone or two of the old autumn featliers on the back andneck throughout the entire season, and about the middleof February l)egin to put forth the first feathers of thesummer. Writing, however, on the subject of the plumages ofl)irds is never verv interestina; to the oeneral reader, whocan learn more in a few seconds by

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