that it is perfectly impossible to give more than a very general 

 description. It must also be borne in mind that the plumage of 

 every individual, which is constantly changing every month either by 

 moulting or by the changing of pattern in the same feather, or by 

 wearing off of the tips, is greatly influenced by the climate of the 

 country it inhabits : for instance, specimens from Scotland are only 

 found in complete white plnmage in exceptionally severe winters, 

 and usually retain a good many of the summer and autumn feathers 

 on the top of the head and back ; while specimens from the northern 

 parts of Xorway and Sweden never complete either their summer 

 or autumn plumage, but retain a large amount of white throughout 

 the year. Anyone who has been able to examine large series of 

 this and other species of La<iopus from different parts of their range, 

 and has seen aU the possible variation in colour to which each 

 species is subject, will be very cautious before adding another name 

 to the already over-burdened synonymy. 



Uab. Europe [and possibly some of the ranges in Central Asia, 

 but it is almost impossible to tell whether the references should be 

 referred to this species or L. ruptstris] ; ranging westwards to 

 Scotland, southwards to the Pyrenees and Alps, and eastwards to 

 the Ural ilountains. 



For an excellent account of the various changes of plumage 

 during every month of the year, we refer to J. G. ilillais's ' Game 

 Birds and Shooting-Sketches,' pp. 69, 70. 



a-c. S ad. 2 imm. 



sk. et (5 ad. st. 

 d. 5 ad. sk. 

 e,f. 2 imm. st. 



et sk. 

 g. S imm. sk. 

 h, i. cS $ ad. 8t. 

 k. cJ imm. st. 

 /, ni. (5 ad. et 



5 imm. sk. 

 o-v. c? 2 ad. et 



imm. sk. 

 ?('. 2 ad. sk. 

 T-a'. c? ad. sk. 

 b'. ? ad. sk. 

 c'. cj ad. sk. 

 d'. cf ad. .sk. 

 e'. 2 ad. sk. 

 /. d ad. iik. 

 g'. c? ad. sk. 



Scotland, Sept. and winter. Gould Coll. 



h'. d ad. sk. 

 t". 2 imm. sic. 

 k'. S ad. sk. 

 /'. (S imm. sk. 

 »n', «'. cS 2 ad. 



sk. 

 0. (J ad. sk. 



Scotland. 

 Inverness. 



Grampian Mts.jOct. (Swan). 

 Perthshire. 

 Perthshire, autumn. 

 Tyndrum, Perthshire, Dec. 



Argyllshire, Dec. 



Europe, summer to autumn. 

 Switzerland, spring, winter. 

 Oborhasle, Berne, summer. 

 Norway, Feb. 

 Norway, March. 

 Norway, Sept. 

 Tiinfcet, Norway, Sept. 

 Dovrefjeld Mts., Norway, 



spring. 

 Sneehiittan, Norway, July. 

 Kvikne, Norway, Oct. 

 Poros, Norway, Nov. 

 Ryfylke, Norway, Sept. 

 llainmerfest, Norway, June 



(E. Erarhs). 

 Sweden, Aug. (H. IVheel- 

 xcright). 



Montagu Coll. 

 Purchased. 



Gould Coll. 



Duke of Athole [P.l 



E. Booth, Esq. [P.]. 

 Marcpiis of Breadal- 



bane [P.]. 



F. Menteith Ogilvie, 

 Esq. [P.]. 



Purchased. 

 Dr. C. Moesch [CI. 

 Gould Coll. 

 Gould Coll. 

 India Museum [P.], 

 E. ^'alpv, Esq. [P.]. 

 Prof. \i. Collett : P.]. 

 Gould Coll. 



Gould Coll. 

 Prof. K. Collett [P.l 

 Prof. R. CoUett [P.l. 

 Prof. R. Collett rP.I. 

 Gould Coll. 



Gould Coll. 



