BIRDS—TETRAONIDAE—LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS. 635 
of settling the synonymy of the different species, and can only call this one Lagopus albus as a 
provisional appellation. Bonaparte, in his list of Tetraonidae, in Comptes Rendus XLV, Sept. 
1857, 428, assigns to America three species: LZ. rupestris, Lath., with Z. americanus, Aud., 
and lagopus of American writers as synonyms; ZL, groenlandicus, Brehm., with L. reinhardtii? 
Brehm, as synonyms, and JZ. lewcwrus. The European white ptarmigans are given as L. 
albus, L. mutus, and L. islandorum, Faber, the latter differing from albus in the stouter bill. 
It will be noted that this difference of bill appears to characterise the Newfoundland ptarmigan 
as compared with those from Hudson’s bay. As, however, the original etrao albus of Gmelin is 
based primarily on descriptions of American specimens, such as Lagopede de la Baie de Hudson 
of Buffon, White partridge of Ellis, &c., it will be proper to use it here, whatever be its 
relationship to Huropean forms. 
List of specimens. 
a 
Catal. | Sex. Locality. When collected.| Whence obtained. Collected by— | Length. Stretch | Wing. 
No. | of wings. 
4520 |------ St. John’s, N. FoL-. 2 Feb. —, 1856 | DreStabbsesees=s.|-=- eee ean sees So oeme esa sean ees aed 
Ls Cae Mote Ste Bled of dowse ois Ne si eed EOE! Se mne Meher 14.40 | 24.00 | 7.25 
AGS ae eee eee dOdas sms Leese hearer Sec eerie seers | 15.20) 24.20 | 7.50 
19687, o AGTH) 0) of: X6 (0) aS ey ee Summer....-. \Siehs (Baird = JaUsAUCUDON = oen| sae mcm aaen eee! seem 
28527) QO? |... Aah een A dnp be ai dossece: harieat dose te felecesa SROs pel Path er aE a bar 
SEN eseese Trois: Riyieres, Can_..| Winters-.-2--|..22<. doPrsccscsas TT. BrooMmeaesencee|- see aoe |s eee see 
G92 O0 eeeia rer REGrivers He Balin are omen elaine imal DonaldiGunn.seas)= 2s see aaa eens | atte ee | eee | 
6924 |....-- Nelsoniriver; HB.) T--| 22. <--sene~ elas = dO Bamae ane |= eine oer teeter tee oem oe homeo 
8084 |_.---- Hudsonsbay,s-- 2-6 | Winter.....-- John Gould: 25226 |- asec came e ances oe aeton es ence ae) ee 
BOSOM Gus sees ss dosee nse mee ene Summer _.-<-|/-..-- doseces . 2208 Ree sos | SO onl er en 
LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS, Leach. 
Rock Ptarmigan. 
Tetrao rupestris, GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 751. Based on rock grouse of Pennant.—Larnam, Ind. Orn. I, 1790, 
312.—Sasine, Supplem. Parry’s First Voyage, page cxcv.—Ricuarpson, Append. Parry’s Second 
Voyage, 348.—Avp. Orn. Biog. 1V, 1838, 483; pl. 368. : 
Lagopus rupestris, Leacu, Zool. Misc. I, 290.—Bon. List, 1838.—Aup. Syn. 208.—Is. Birds Amer. V, 1842, 122; 
pl. 301. 
Tetro (Lagopus) rupestris, Swans, FE’. Bor. Am. I, 1831, 354; pl. Ixiv. 
Attagen rupestris, Rercu. Av. Syst. Nat. 1851, page xxix. 
Rock grouse, Pennant, Arctic Zool. II, 312. 
Sp. Cu.—Bill slender ; distance from the nasal groove to tip greater than height at base. In summer the feathers of back 
black, banded distinctly with yellowish brown and tipped with white. In winter white, the tail black ; the male with a black 
bar from bill through eye. Size considerably less than that of L. albus. Length about 14.50 inches ; wing, 7.50; tail, 4.50. 
Hab.—Arctic America 
Bill from the nasal groove considerably longer than the greatest depth of both mandibles 
taken together. Gonys about equal to width of lower mandible below. First quill intermediate 
between sixth and seventh. Claws very large and broad, equal to the culmen. Tail of fourteen 
black feathers and four middle white ones, Tail about two-thirds the length of wings. 
