The Common Ptarmigan or White Grouse (Lagopus mutus or vulgaris), Fig. 71, has the legs and feet thickly covered with hairlike feathers. It is ash-coloured in summer, but its hue changes to a pure white in winter. The flesh is dark coloured. It is found in most northern regions, such as the north of Scotland, principally among the mountains; but the numbers seen in the London market are chiefly imported from Norway and Sweden. The Ptarmigan's nest is a loosely constructed heap of twigs and grass, and contains from ten to fourteen eggs, of a reddish-white spotted with brown.

Fig. 71. - The Common Ptarmigan or White Grouse.