A NEW SUBSPECIES OF PTARMIGAN FROM THE 

 ALEUTIAN ISLANDS 



By a. C. bent 



The new subspecies of Ptarmigan here described was collected at 

 Tanaga Island, Alaska, during a brief visit to the Aleutian Chain in 

 the summer of 191 1 for the purpose of gathering material for the 

 continuation of the work on the Life Histories of North American 

 Birds, published by the Smithsonian Institution several years ago. 

 The subspecies is named in Jjonor of Dr. Leonard C. Sanford, of New 

 Haven, Conn. Good series of this bird and of its nest were collected. 

 Near the beach and on the tundra of Tanaga Island the birds were 

 abundant and tame. 



LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS SANFORDI, new subspecies 

 Tanaga Ptarmigan 

 Suhspecifjc characters.— 'ixmWsiV to Lagopus rupcstris chainberlaini, 

 Clark, and to L. r. atkhensis, Turner, but much lighter than either, 

 especially on the throat and breast, the darkest specimens of san- 

 fordi being somewhat lighter than the lightest specimens of either 

 of the other forms and the average difference being well marked and 

 fairly constant. Less heavily barred with black on head, throat and 

 chest ; black loral space less conspicuous ; and with fewer black mark- 

 ings in feathers of back. 



Description of 7nfl/c.— (Type, adult male. Cat. No. 2225,27 U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., Tanaga Island. Aleutian Chain, Alaska, June 25, 191 1. R- 

 H. Beck.) General tone of the summer plumage light greyish buff, 

 paler on the throat, chest, rump and upper tail-coverts than elsewhere. 

 Ground colors of upper parts varying from pale clay color or wood 

 brown in the darkest birds to very pale drab grey, almost whitish, m 

 the lightest birds; generally all of these and several intermediate 

 shades of color showing on different feathers scattered indiscrimi- 

 nately over the back, scapulars and rump. The lightest feathers tipped 

 with whitish, having irregular subterminal black bars and finely 

 sprinkled with minute black dots. The darkest feathers ochraceous 

 or clay-colored, with large central black spaces and irregularly barred 

 or vermiculated with black. Feathers of intermediate colors more or 

 less barred or sprinkled with black. 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections Vol. 56 No. 30 



