no. 1727. BIRDS OF Till: 1<)0(> " \l.i: \TROS8" (1RUIHE -CL IRK, 



53 



amination of any one specimen whether it was taken in Alaska or in 

 Labrador. A number of young birds in various stages from Labrador, 

 besides the 60 adults examined, show that this character of the large 

 beak is assumed at a very early age. My Norwegian specimens have 

 very small beaks, not noticeably larger than those of Lagopus mutus 

 from the same locality. 



In regard to the nomenclature, Gmelin, in 1788, a based the name 

 [Tetrad] alius upon the "Lagopede delaBaye d'Hudson" of Buffon, 6 

 which is unmistakably this form. The other references cited by 

 Gmelin under this species, as well asunder his [Tetrao] lagopus of the 

 previous page, include old and new world forms of both the Lagopus 

 lagopus and Lagopus mutus groups jumbled together. 



This form should be known, therefore, as Lagopus lagopus albus, 

 the type-locality being Hudson's Bay, and the habitat from northern 

 Labrador westward and northwestward, reaching the Alaskan shores 



a b c 



Subspecies of lagopl"s lagoits. </. Lagopus lagopus albus (from i specimen from ungava). 

 h. Lagopus lagopus ai.i:\anih:.k (from \ specimen from the shumagin islands), c. Lagopus 



LAGOPUS LAGOPUS (FROM A SPECIMEN FRi >M NORWAY). 



of the Arctic Ocean south in Alaska to parts of the lower Yukon 

 valley and .St. Michaels. 



Lagopus lagopus alexandrse is a, somewhat smaller form, with a 

 much smaller and weaker beak, the culmen regularly curved as in 

 L. I. lagopus. The. general coloration above is deep rich chestnut, 

 thickly and finely vermiculated with black, each feather narrowly 

 tipped with white; upper throat and face dusky; sides of head and 

 neck, lower throat, and fore neck clear chestnut, the breast becoming 

 finely vermicnlated with black, increasing in extent posteriorly; 

 sides and flanks very dark and clouded with blackish, the feathers 

 tipped with buff; most of wings and under tail-coverts, middle of 

 underparts, thighs, and feet, white. 



Measurements (average): Wing 193 mm.; tail 120 mm.; tarsus 38 

 mm.; middle toe 28.5mm.; culmen 17.5 mm.: depth of bill at base 12 

 mm.; distance from inferior corner of maxilla to lip of culmen 21.5 

 mm.; width of bill at base 12 mm. 



"Sysl. Nat., vol. I. |'i- 2, p. 750. 



6 Hist. Nat. Ois., vol. 2, 177 1, ]». 276 [bu1 not pi. it]. 



