FAJiL XXXIV. GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, ETC. 225 



Willow Ptarmigan 



This is an abundant bird in the Arctic regions, but does not 

 nest farther south than central Labrador, though in winter 

 it migrates southward, even into northern New 

 York. The ptarmigans have the toes fully 

 feathered. 



Length, 14-17 ; wing, 1\ ; tail, 4i ; culmen, 

 \. Northern portions of the northern hem- 

 isphere ; south in winter occasionally 

 into the northern border of the United 

 States. The Rock Ptarmigan (30i 

 Laybpiis rupestris),oi Arctic Amer- 

 ica south to the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, has in winter 

 the outer tail feathers 

 blackish, generally tipped 

 with white, and the lores 

 black, while the rest of the 

 plumage is pure white. In 

 summer it has mottled and barred grayish plumage with almost no I'ufous. 

 Welch's Ptarmigan (30o. LiKjopus tcelrhi), of Newfoundland, has in win- 

 ter the wlu)le tail blackish, except the white tips of the central feathers, 

 and the lores black, while the rest of the plumage is white. In .summer 

 the upper parts are black with wavy lines of buff and white, and the 

 belly white. Probably none but the Willow Ptarmigan has ever been 

 found ill the United States. 



8. Prairie Hen (305. TymjjanhcJius CDnericcinus). — A large, 

 ground-living, short-tailed, very mvich mottled, brownish, some- 

 what crested grouse, 

 with a tuft of ten or 

 more, narrow, stiff- 

 ened, mottled, black 

 feathers on the side 

 of the neck, under 

 Avhich there is a 

 patch of bare, inflat- 

 able, yellow skin. 

 The peculiar neck 

 feathers have their 

 Prairie Hen tips rounded, and 



APGAR'S BIRDS. 



15 



