CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 205 
CIX. LAGOPUS. Brisson. 1760. 
301. Willow Ptarmigan. 
Lagopus lagopus (LINN.) STEJN. 1885. 
This species and the Rock Ptarmigan with their sub-species are 
found throughout the whole northern part of the American con- 
tinent including all the islands on the Atlantic side from New- 
foundland westward. Both species breed to the north of the 
thickly wooded country but the Willow Ptarmigan is more 
southern and less elevated in its range. In winter it enters the 
sub-arctic forest and often descends to the margins of the northern 
settlements, but the Rock Ptarmigan is much less common. 
The breeding range of this species extends across Labrador 
and the region west of Hudson Bay and stretches northward into 
the Barren Grounds and southward into the spruce forest along 
their southern border. In Alaska it is also abundant but is 
restricted in summer to the barren sea-coast or on the open 
grounds of the interior. Its winter range is less defined as it is 
found much further south in some winters than in others. Mr. 
Brewster found this species with young birds at Fox Bay, Anti- 
costi, in summer, so that the southern breeding limit may extend 
much further south than is indicated above. 
A transient visitor about Montreal in winter, but common in 
eastern Quebec north of the St. Lawrence. We have no account 
of its occurrenee in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. A casual 
visitor on the Gatineau north of the city of Ottawa, and at the 
Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior. The three points cited above 
show that it may be looked for in winter in all the northern 
forest. Mr. Tavernier writes that Mr. Herring of Toronto showed 
him a freshly killed specimen taken at Whitby June 18th, 1899. 
Its winter range westward of Lake Superior to Lake Winnipeg is 
not well defined but Mr. Seaton-Thompson cites many instances 
of its occurrence in northern Manitoba and west and east of Lake 
Winnipeg. Thence westward its winter range seems to be con- 
fined to spruce woods, seldom coming south of Lat. 53° in the 
Saskatchewan country. Nelson and Turner unite in stating that 
it is a plentiful resident on the entire mainland coast of Alaska in 
summer ; in winter it retires to the forest. The only notice of 
