234 BULLETIN 16 2, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



LAGOPUS LEUCURUS PENINSULARIS Chapman 



KENAI WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN 



HABITS 



The type of the local race of the white-tailed ptarmigan named 

 peninsularis, one of a series of 26 specimens, was taken by J. D. 

 Figgins in the Kenai Mountains, on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, on 

 August 11, 1901. It is in the gray fall, or transition, plumage. Dr. 

 Frank M. Chapman (1902) in his original description gives it the 

 following subspecific characters : " In nuptial plumage differs from 

 corresponding phase of plumage of Lagopus leucurus in having the 

 black areas of great extent, the buff areas much paler. In fall, 

 transition or ' preliminary ' plumage differs from similarly plum- 

 aged specimens of Lagopus leucurus in being decidedly grayer." 



Chapman quotes from Mr. Figgins's notes, as follows : 



Reared far above all timber, tbese interesting birds must depend upon their 

 color for protection at all times. Found only on the bleak barren grounds, not 

 even a blade of grass rises to offer them a retreat. Their color is an exact 

 imitation of their rocky surroundings, and if the bird remains at rest it is 

 impossible to detect it though only a few feet distant. When approached they 

 crouch as closely to the ground as possible, usually near some small boulder, 

 and remain thus while you are in motion, but if a stop is made they try to 

 steal away and in that way reveal themselves. As soon as a movement is 

 made they resume their former position. They are hard to flush, depending 

 rather upon their color for safety than their wings. A low cackling when 

 their young are disturbed are the only notes I have heard. The food of this 

 ptarmigan is berries and the leaves of small plants. The principal berry 

 resembles our blueberry in appearance and remains fresh the year round, 

 falling from the plant only when a new crop is grown. 



LAGOPUS LEUCURUS ALTIPETENS Osgood 



SOUTHERN WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN 



HABITS 



Dr. Wilfred H. Osgood (1901) discovered that the white-tailed 

 ptarmigan of the Colorado mountains is subspecincally distinct from 

 the bird of the mountains north of the United States and gave it the 

 name altipetens. He gives as its characters : "Adult in fall plumage 

 similar to Lagopus leucurus, but general color of upperparts buff 

 instead of gray; adult in summer plumage indistinguishable in color 

 from leucurus; wings and tail decidedly longer than in leucurus." 



The white-tailed ptarmigan is an alpine species, a permanent resi- 

 dent in the high mountains, above timber line during most of the 

 3 r ear at least. In the southern portion of its habitat it ranges from 

 10,000 to 14,000 feet altitude and somewhat lower farther north. It 

 is the only ptarmigan known to breed within the limits of the United 



