202 ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 



The '■'■ Kuropatka^'' or ^^ Kuropaschlca,''^ as thenatives call the ptarmigaa, 

 is very commow ou both islands, although much more numerous on Ber- 

 ing than on Copper Island. During the winter of 1882-'83 two hunters 

 shot not less than fourteen hundred of them,* and our bill of fare during 

 the whole time from November to March was every day distinguished 

 by ptarmigan in some or another style, and not seldom was its palatable 

 meat served twice a day. The natives, however, do not appreciate it as 

 it deserves, as it is too dry for them, and, if taken ill, they will, by far, 

 prefer a tender old "Tschaika" (sea-gull). It is well so, as otherwise 

 not many ptarmigans would be left. It happened several times that, 

 after an absence of an hour and a half, I returned home with between 

 thirty and forty birds on the sledge. In March the flocks are loose, and, 

 leaving the low-lands, they are then mostly found on the mountains about 

 600 to 1,000 feet above sea level. Toward the end of April the flocks 

 disband completely, and the cry of the males is heard everywhere among 

 the mountains, while the hen keeps herself better concealed. On a short 

 trip in dog sledge to the south end of the island during the latter part 

 of April I shot as many ptarmigans as I cared for, but they were all 

 single birds and males, without exception. 



The habits of the present species do not show any difference from 

 those of the allied ones. It feeds chiefly upon the leaves of Empeirum 

 niyrian, partially also on those of Rhododendron chrysanthum, more sel- 

 dom on Betula nana and Salix, and, in the autumn, on berries and the 

 seeds of Polygonum, the latter being a favorite food of the chicks. 



On the 6th of July, 1883, I found a nest on Copper Island, close to 

 the seal-rookery at Kaiabelnij. It was a rough afiair consisting of dry 

 grass and a few feathers, with a diameter of 140'"™. It contained nine 

 quite fresh eggs (No. 2321, U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 21804), resembling 

 those of the allied species. The long and short diameters measure as 

 follows: 46 by 33'""', 48 by 32.25"^°^, 46 by 33°^™, 45 by 32.5'"°', 45 by 

 32mm^ 45 by 32'">", 45.5 by 32'""', 45 by 32.25"'°, 45 by 31.5'". 



Two eggs of another set, collected in July, 1882, on Bering Island 

 (No. 1393, U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 21805) measure 46.5 by 32.25™-^', 47 by 



QOmm 



*Steller gives the following account of the oicurreuce aud tameuess of this bird 

 (Pall., Zoogr. I. c): In insula Beriugii gregariae, homineni niinime formidantes, ut 

 fustibus occidi et in uno loco intra borte spatium ad 80 sclopo occidi potuerint, magno 

 naufragoruui solatio. The natives even now occasionally kill them with sticks. 



