Ramble in Eastern Iceland b^c. ^77 



species (under the title of Lagopus islandorum, Faber) : — " it is 

 by no means certain to me whether the former [the Icelandic 

 species] is not identical with that of Greenland [Lagopus 

 rvpestris, Brehm), and this, again_, with Tetrao rupestris of 

 older authors/^ Mr. W. G. Lock, in his useful ' Guide to 

 Iceland^ (1882), is much less happy in his remarks, for he 

 says " there is little doubt that there are three varieties [of 

 Ptarmigan in Iceland], the Ptarmigan [Lagopus alpina, 

 Linn.), identical with the Norwegian Fjeld-ryper; the Willow- 

 Grouse [L. subalpina, Nilss.), identical with the Norwegian 

 Dal- or Scov-ryper, and a hybrid produced by the inter- 

 breeding of these birds/^ As we cannot for a moment 

 countenance such ideas, we refer our readers to page 7Q 

 et seq. of Mr. Lock's book, and to his article in the ' Field' 

 (July 5tli, 1879), for further information and " proofs.'' 

 We handled some fifty specimens, in the flesh, of Ptarmigan 

 obtained in Eastern Iceland, at elevations varying from 100 

 to 2500 feet, and from the wooded valley of the Fnjoska in 

 the north near Akureyri. All of these, it is almost needless 

 to remark, belonged to the one species found in Iceland, 

 Lagopus rupestris. 



Lastly, in a paper entitled a " Brief review of the Lago- 

 podes,'* contributed to the ' Zeitschrift fiir die gesammte 

 Ornithologie,' 188-1, p. 90, Dr. Leonhard Stejneger while 

 "provisionally'' considering this a separate species, Lagopus 

 islandorum (Faber), confesses that for want of material he is 

 at present unable to point out its characters and affinities with 

 certainty; but he remarks that it is said to be distinguished 

 by a heavier bill, larger size, and browner plumage than its 

 nearest allies. 



Autumn plumage of Lagopus rupestris *. 



Adult male. Upper parts with each feather vermiculated 

 with brownish grey and brownish black in about equal pro- 

 portions, giving them a generally brownish-grey tint. The 



* Through the kindness of Professor Newton we have been enabled to 

 compare our series with specimens in his collection obtained in summer 

 in Iceland and in early autumn in Greenland. 



