ROCK PTARMIGAN 203 



the interior of Alaska to northwestern Greenland. I recognize this 

 revision and include welchi in the grayish form {mpestris) . 



It is the wide-ranging gray rock ptarmigan that we are now con- 

 sidering. Lucien M. Turner, in his unpublished notes, has given us 

 the best contribution to the life history of this species. Bendire 

 (1892) quoted some of these notes under Reinhardt's ptarmigan, 

 but, for reasons stated under that form, I prefer to use them here. 

 As to the haunts of these birds he says : 



They prefer more open ground and rarely straggle even into the skirts of 

 the wooded tracts. The hilltops and " harrens " (hence often called barren 

 ground bird) are their favorite resorts. As these tracts are more extensive 

 in the northern portions of Labrador and Ungava, these birds are there very 

 abundant. During the summer months they are quite scarce in the vicinity 

 of Fort Chimo, retiring to the interior and the hills of George River for that 

 season. In the month of May the nuptial season arrives and is continued until 

 about June, when nesting and laying begin. The birds are by this time scat- 

 tered, each pair now taking possession of a large tract of stunted vegetation, 

 among which they make their nest and rear their young. I was never able to 

 procure the eggs of this species. 



As to the haunts of rock ptarmigan in Newfoundland, all recent 

 observers seem to agree that " Welch's ptarmigan " is confined, at 

 present at least, to the barren tops of the highest hills along the west 

 and south coasts. Dr. G. K. Noble (1919) says that "all of the 

 Welch's Ptarmigan observed were found on the very highest ranges 

 of the Lewis Hills. These are composed mostly of syenite, very 

 much weathered or fragmented." Ludlow Griscom (1926) agrees 

 with him that this species " is found only on the highest diorite and 

 syenite rock barriers " ; he found it also " on the summit of 

 Blomidon." J. R. Whitaker, who lived in Newfoundland for many 

 years, says in some notes he sent to me : 



These birds are distributed through the high tundras and hills of Newfound- 

 land. In the middle section of the country they are not nearly so numerous 

 as along the hills nearer the coast. They remain on the high barrens far more 

 persistently than Allen's ptarmigan, but it was quite a rare event to see any 

 on the lower level even during severe winters; this statement applies to central 

 Newfoundland. I am told on good authority that along the west coast, Cape 

 Ray especially, they come down to sea level in numbers during the fall and 

 winter months. 



From extensive information recently gathered, I should extend 

 the range of the rock ptarmigan, in Newfoundland, to include suit- 

 able highlands along the south coast from Fortune Bay to Cape Ray, 

 with several records for Gafftopsail and Kettys Brook on the rail- 

 way line. Probably the whole of the northern peninsula, north of 

 Bonne Bay and White Bay, should be included also. I am told that 

 80 per cent of the ptarmigan that come into the market from this 

 southwestern rejrion are " rockers." 



