50 



*ETEAONIDA. 



and goes through similar changes of plumage ; in summer the males 

 are easily distinguishable, but in winter it is impossible to teU one 

 from the other. This form has been divided into a number of 

 species and subspecies in different parts of its range, the birds from 

 Iceland being known as L. islandorum, those from Greenland and 

 the western side of Davis Strait and Baffin's Bay as L. reinhardti ; 

 those from Newfoundland as L. ivelchi ; those from Arctic America 

 as L. rupestris; those from Unalashka Is. as L. nelsoni; while from 

 the outer Aleutian Islands the bird is known as L. atkhensis, and 

 from Behring Island as L. insularis or L. ridgwayi. At present the 

 only ones which have escaped being given a name are those from 

 Japan and the North of Asia. Of the greater number of these 

 supposed different species we have seen or possess examples, and of 

 the rest there are excellent figures and descriptions. After going 

 over all the facts very carefully and allowing for very slight 

 individual differences and climatic variations, we cannot see the 

 slightest object to be gained in cataloguing under endless names 

 what are clearly only forms of one species, especially as L. rupestris, 

 taken as a whole, appears to us barely specifically distinct from 

 L. mutus. We have not seen examples from Newfoundland, but 

 from all accounts they have the upper plumage grey, almost iden- 

 tical with that of L. mutus in autumn. It is also on record that 

 grey forms which have been identified as L. mutus have been 

 obtained in some of the islands to the north of Arctic America. 



The adult male of L. rupestris appears to have the chest always 

 barred with black in the summer plumage, and never uniform 

 blackish brown as in L. mutus. This is the only striking difference 

 beyond the general tone of the plumage. 



Adult male. Total length 14-G inches, wing 7'7, tail 4*5, tarsus 1*2. 



Adult female. Total length 14 inches, wing 7*5, tail 4*1, tarsus 

 1-15. 



Hah. Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and Arctic America, 

 Aleutian Is., Behring Is., Japan, and Northern Asia, and probably 

 as far west as the Ural Mountains. 



a, b. S imm. st. et 



sk. 

 c, d. S ad. et imm. 



sk. 



e. Pull. sk. 



f, ff. d 2 imm. sk. 



h. 2 imm. sk. 



i-l. d 2 fid. et 



imm. sk. 

 m, «. cJ 2 ad. sk. 

 o-u. (S 2 ad. et 



imm. sk. 

 to. 2 ad. sk. 



X. cJ ad. sk. 



Iceland, autumn. 



Iceland, winter. 



Iceland, July. 

 Iceland, Sept. 



Iceland, winter. 



Greenland, autumn. 



Greenland, autumn. 

 Lichtenfels, S. Greenland, 



Sept., Nov., Jan. 

 Musk-ox Bay, Greenland, 



June. 

 N. Greenland, lat. 82° 31', 



June {H. W. Feilden). 



Purchased. 



Gould Coll, 



Gould Coll. 

 J. Backhouse, Esq., 

 Jr. [P.]. 



H. E. Dresser, Esq. 



("■pi -] 



Capt.' Holboll [C.]. 



Gould Coll. 



Dr. E. B. Sharpe 



[P.]. 

 Lords of the Treasury 



[P.]. 

 'Alert' Arctic Exped. 



