Part 105

Bill very thick, convex, with a strong ridge on each side of the lower mandible; claws (when entire) elongated, arched with the sides sloping, edges thin and nearly parallel, the tip rounded; tail short, slightly rounded, of fourteen feathers, independently of the long incumbent coverts. Bill black, claws dusky at the base, yellowish-grey on the edges and tip. In winter, the plumage white, excepting the shafts of the primaries, which are brown, and the tail-feathers, which are black, narrowly tipped with white, and with the base of the same colour. In summer, the male with the head and neck bright chestnut, more or less variegated with dusky; the upper parts and sides having the feathers brownish-black, transversely barred with reddish-yellow, and narrowly tipped with white; the quills and larger coverts, with most of the smaller, middle of breast, abdomen, and feet, white; tail as in winter, the middle incumbent feather like the back. Female similar, with the markings larger, the breast and abdomen coloured like the sides, the head and neck without chestnut. Young, when in down, of a yellowish tint, variegated above with large streaks of dark brown, the top of the head with a longitudinal patch of brown, edged with black. When fledged, the young resemble the female.

Male, 17, 26-1/2. Female, 16, 26.

In Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, during winter. Breeds plentifully in Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Fur Countries. Rocky Mountains.

Tetrao (Lagopus) saliceti, Willow Grouse, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 351.

Willow Grouse or Large Ptarmigan. Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 674.

Willow Grouse, Tetrao saliceti, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 528.

302. 2. Lagopus Americanus, Aud. American Ptarmigan.

Not figured.

Bill much narrower, with the ridge on each side of the lower mandible obsolete; claws (when entire) elongated, arched, with the sides sloping, the edges thin and nearly parallel, the tip round; tail short, even, of fourteen feathers, independently of the long incumbent coverts. In winter, the plumage white, excepting the shafts of the primaries, which are brown, and the tail-feathers, which are black, narrowly tipped with white; male with a black loral band, extending beyond the eye. In summer, the general colour of the upper parts, fore neck, and sides, reddish-yellow, finely undulated transversely with blackish-brown, and greyish-white; the bars on the head and neck larger; the two long incumbent tail-feathers similar to those of the back; the rest brownish-black, tipped with white; little white on the lower parts, and only in patches, some greyish-white undulations occasionally seen, tend to approximate the colouring to that of some specimens of Lagopus mutus of Scotland, but the prevailing tint is not grey, as in that species, but brownish-yellow. Young similar to the adult, with the bands larger; the fore part of the wings, the primaries, secondary coverts, and abdomen, white.

Male, 14-3/4, wing, 8-1/4.

Melville Island. Churchill River.

Tetrao lagopus, Sabine, Richardson, &c.

Tetrao (Lagopus) mutus, Ptarmigan, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 350.

Common Ptarmigan, Tetrao mutus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 196.

303. 3. Lagopus rupestris, Gmel. Rock Ptarmigan.

Plate CCCLXVIII. Male and Female. Plate CCCCXVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill very short, thick, convex (stronger than that of L. americanus), with the ridges on the lower mandible faint; claws elongated, arched, with the sides sloping, the edges thin and nearly parallel, the tip narrowed, (broader than in L. albus). Tail short, slightly rounded, of fourteen feathers, independently of the long incumbent coverts. Bill black, claws dusky, with the edges and tip inclining to yellowish-grey. In winter, the plumage white, excepting the shafts of the primaries, which are brownish-black, and the tail-feathers, which are black, narrowly tipped with white, and with the base of the same colour. In summer, the plumage variegated with black, reddish-yellow, and white; the feathers being chiefly of the first colour, transversely and irregularly banded with reddish-yellow, and terminally margined with white; lower parts more broadly and regularly barred with brownish-black and light reddish-yellow; edge of wing, alula, primary coverts, nearly all the secondary coverts, primaries, and outer secondaries white, as are the lower surface of the wing, the axillars, and some of the feathers on the abdomen, as well as those on the feet, the latter tinged with yellowish; shafts of primaries brownish-black; tail as in winter, but with the lateral feather white on a great part of the outer web. Female similar, with the bands broader.

Male, 13-1/2, wing, 7-10/12.

Breeds from Labrador to the Arctic Seas. Rocky Mountains. Abundant. Migratory.

Tetrao (Lagopus) rupestris, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 354.

Rock Grouse, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 610.

Rock Grouse, Tetrao rupestris, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 483.

304. 4. Lagopus leucurus, Swains. White-tailed Ptarmigan.

Plate CCCCXVIII. Adult in winter.

Claws slightly arched, depressed, broad, thin-edged, rather pointed; tail rather short, slightly rounded, of fourteen feathers. Plumage in winter entirely pure white. In summer, the head and neck barred with blackish-brown and brownish-white; upper parts blackish-brown, barred with reddish-yellow; breast, belly, and sides pale reddish-yellow, broadly barred with blackish-brown; tail white.

Tetrao (Lagopus) leucurus, White-tailed Grouse, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii, p. 356.

White-tailed Grouse, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 612.

White-tailed Grouse, Tetrao leucurus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 200.