58 344 



with a growth of birch, and distinguished by round rocky elevations, 

 small mosses, and tarns. In this spot there is always a good supply 

 of ptarmigan and black game, whose respective ranges in northern 

 latitudes sometimes coalesce; and apparently there was no lack 

 of pairing-birds for either of the two species. 



The craw and stomach of an individual, shot in Gudbrands- 

 dalen Dec. 7th 1870, contained a number of fragments of a Salix 

 (some of them 15 mm in length), fragments and numerous berries 

 of My rtillus nigra, tops oi Calluna vulgaris (about 30 mm in length), 

 and a few leaves of Ardostaphylos alpina. That of another in- 

 dividual (Dec. 6th 1872) was filled with the tops and seed of 

 Carex stellulata, amongst which were found a few berries of Oxy- 

 coccos palustris Siwd Juniper us communis, some of the latter being 

 unripe; in the specimen last procured (28th Febr. 1873), I found leaves 

 of Vaccinium vitis idcea, and fragments and buds of a willow and 

 of Myrtillus nigra. 



Of these several descriptions of food, Arcfostaph. alpina indicates 

 a habitat of considerable altitude, and some of the others, that 

 this bird — in winter-time at least — frequents humid localities. 



In all these winter-individuals the testes were only small, 

 and greyish white in colour; the left was generally larger than the 

 right, and measured 5 mm in length; the breadth and height was 

 about 3 mm. 



Diagnosis. 



Tail slightly forked, number of retrices 18; The outward bend 

 of the feathers is scarcely perceptible. 



Toes half covered with whitish plumlets: thus, the innermost 

 joint of the middle toe is entirely feathered, the middle one naked 

 above, but covered on the sides, the outermost quite naked. The 

 naked portions are marked above with transverse rings and the 

 sides with 1 or 2 series of rounded scales ; under the latter there 

 is a larger ($) or smaller (?) toothed comb. 



Claws shaped almost like those of Lagopus, long and broad 

 and very slightly oblique, the inner edge being a trifle broader 

 than the outer. 



