New-York tribune., 1910-01-09
A MOTHER PTARNIGAN'S LONE
By Bradford K Daniels

WI We're near the C1wlitz Glacier o. e -1n-
RAINIER The guide was mcN--- -ong
a few steps ahead IN his noiSeleSS wav wing
\ halt-ohdterated treIl through SC-u. -srS
when mother Ptarrnigan 1luttered lgu -- e. -he
loose volcanic ash where she and her Chr. had
been taking dust bath She moved aV . over
the proStrate cedar trunks and lava Srr-.- with
the SImulatiOnS of distress coru--,- -. --e
grouse family when they think their .- n
danger, and was dragging Wei teis-e- sen
wing three rods away. when the E-.--e ..a l
h1gh- keyed whistle IN admirable lr-------
chick IN great distress With one ~WI,-
the mother landed al the guides feet V-
aS II III an agony ot fear for the ~--e-t .>r
little ones Swift aS q snake ~r-,,.- -e
guides arm shot out and seized the ay
the wing.
For few moments the mother 2-ar-- gan
struggled desperately chen, rs n rt..,1Ir- --e
hopelcSSne,S OF the r-.-, I4v pas~ive,v ,- -ne
guides hands. .-.y t.s Will beating rr -.-
heart against -.. g. .-er feathers revealing -.-
true state ot r.r. -. ~-~oNej her bc1ur,,u-
plunIgc for .-... --t then r-- her DOWN.
expecting ~ 500 me dash Tor freedom To
our surprise. however. She Law quite Stlu On hs-
side as he had placed her Watching us -..-
out OF her sharp black ewes. |~,-.--. .e
moved forward. when She resumed -- r-
meT tactics of distress. following
came out on the SUowtIcl., is ten rods AWAY
The following day our route t' thc ,-.e- ~
let Us over the same trAIi and Ii prcyE~... ne
same spot among the CCilrS the silly pt-r
HutteTed up as ON the dJv previous L She
went through the usual ContortiouS the
whlStled Is before. and AGAIN She return Cd
hIS feet anj was oncc more made pms. .--
For time she struggled rs desperately g
her first capture, but when | had stroke. ..r
head gently for 81 few moments she seemed
wIrdlv reconciled to the situation. Tr,- /
began u search among the heather to- .r
chicks when the violent struggle % trcc h,.-..t
was resumed When | returned ~ Chc s.- 3
SIDE the struggle ceased, and when p'
ou the ground She dlt not STIR uuti, W -e-
SuIucd our WAY, when the same tactics were
enacted
With nv curiosity thoroughly aroused We
returned the third d.tv and the same >ccuc WAS
repeated The mutual fear when tOuchvl .v
human hands apparently had not ,,batel .u -Ic
least, although the time required IN whi>s q,
calm her was steadily shortening Clearly the
trSt capture had been wholly unintcntion-- sn
her part, but she had quickly discovered tr-J
So long us our attention WIS taken up wits acr
IN tins state ot captivity the chicks were safe
Hence her willingness u submit 20 the tr,lnS
ordeal is terrifying ~ her, perhaps. as g.uS
INTO "a non den would be u one ot US humans
II WIS the SuprctuCSt TEST OF maternal love t.}.t
| have ever seen among Wild things
pne phase ot the incident Is peculiar, throw
rnE some hSht Is lt does upon the much moo io-
question. Do animals rrLSon' On several ovt.l-
SionS We went u the spot and stood hoping
that the ptIrmigIu would come % the gul1e
tcet without the usual signal Ct distress irOl
ms HpS. but always the mother continued nSt
contoruOnS until the warning whistle tlcLrIN
she was not capable VI following out the line ot
reasoning that bV coming straight % MS 4nd &C
cupvng our attention She could save her chic IS
The signal ot distress WIS necessary link m the
,.h.t