ALLEN’S PTARMIGAN. 
HIS bird, which is an inhabitant of Newfoundland, 
has been separated from the Willow Grouse as a sub- 
species on what must be considered as very slight and in- 
sufficient grounds. It is a very common species in the 
island, frequenting similar localities as does the Willow 
Grouse on the continent of America, and in its economy 
and habits in no way differs from that species. It is 
called Partridge by some, and feeds on seeds and buds 
and leaves of various trees and bushes; and great num- 
bers of them are killed annually. It bears a very close 
resemblance to the Willow Grouse, and requires more 
than an expert to discover wherein it differs; the chief 
and about the only perceptible distinction claimed is that 
the shafts of the secondaries and primaries are black in- 
stead of white. The description given of the habits of 
the Willow Grouse in the previous article will, in nearly 
all particulars, answer perfectly well for the present bird. 
From the specimens which I have examined at various 
times during the past thirty years I fail to find any which 
present characters that would enable the Newfoundland 
bird to be distinguished from the Willow Grouse of other 
localities. The describer of Allen’s Ptarmigan estab- 
lished the race upon the “ shafts of both primaries and 
secondaries black, and by having the wing feathers, even 
some of the coverts marked and mottled with blackish.” 
These characters do not seem to be reliable, and there 
are at present before me two males belonging to the 
collection of the American Museum of Natural History, 
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