Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-09
MOTHER PTARMIGAN'S LOVE
By Bradford X. Daniels

WE were near the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount
Rainier. The guide moving along
few steps ahead in his noiseless way, following
half-obliterated trail through scrub cedars.
when mother ptarmigan f1uttered up from the
loose volcanic ash where she and her chicks had
been taking dust bath She moved away over
the PROSTATE cedar trunks and lava stones with
the simulations of distress common to the
grouse family when they think their young in
danger and was dragging well feigned broken
wing three rods away, when the guide gave
high keyed whistle in admirable imitation of a
chick in great distress. With one swift swoop
the mother landed at the guides feet writing
as if in an agony of fear for the safety of her
little ones. Swift as a snake strikes the
guides arm shot out and seized the bird by
the wing.
For few moments the mother ptarmgan
struggled desperately; then, as if realizing the
hopelessness of the fight. lay passively in the
guides hands, only the wild beating of the
heart against the glossy feathers revealing her
true state Of mind. He stroked her beautiful
plumage for little and then put her down,
expecting to see a fine dash for freedom To
our surprise. however she lay quite still on her
side he had placed her. watching us closely
out of her sharp black eyes. Presently we
moved forward, when she resumed all her for
mer tactics of distress, following us till we
came out on the snowfields ten rods away.
The following day our route to the mountain
led the trail, and at precisely the
same spot among the cedars the silly ptarmigan
Huttered up as on the day previous As she
went through the usual contortions, the guide
whistled as before, and again she returned to
his feet and was once more made prisoner.
For time she struggled desperately as at
her first capture; but when ! had stroked her
head gently for a few moments she seemed out
wardly reconCIled to the situation. Then |
began to search among the heather for her
chicks, when the violent struggle to free herself
was resumed. When returned to the guides
side the struggle ceased, and when placed
on the ground she did not stir until we re
sumed way, when the same tactics were
enacted.
With my curiosity thoroughly aroused, we
returned the third day. and the same scene was
repeated. The initial fear when touched by
human hands apparently had not abated in the
least, although the time required in which to
calm her steadily shortening Clearly the
first capture had been wholly unintentional on
her part but she had quickly discovered that
SO long attention taken up with her
in this state of captivity the chicks were safe
Hence her willingness to submit to the trying
ordeal as terrifying to her, perhaps going
into a lion den would be to of us humans
1t was the supremest test of maternal love that
| have ever seen among wild things
One phase of the incident Is peculiar, throw
ing some light as it does upon the much mootcd
question. Do animals reason, On several occ..-
sions went to the spot and stood. hoping
that the ptarmIgan would come to the guide
feet without the usual signal of distress from
his lips: but always the mother continued her
contortons until the warning whistle. Clearly
she not capable of following out the line of
reasoning that by coming straight to and oc-
cupvng our attention she could save her chicks.
The signal of distress was necessary link in the
chain.