2 8 Elliot, New Ptarmigans from Alaska. I , " n 



There are about twenty specimens of both sexes of this sub- 

 species in the collection, taken in June on the island of Kyska 

 and in July on Adak. The first of these lies in about 183 west 

 Longitude and the latter in about 1 7 7 . There is a slight differ- 

 ence in the appearance of the birds from the two localities, and 

 this can be attributed possibly somewhat to the difference of date 

 in their capture, the Adak birds having been obtained one month 

 later, but more to their geographical distribution, as Adak is sev- 

 eral hundred miles east of Kyska, and the birds 1 environment has 

 produced a different result upon them but one, not yet sufficiently 

 pronounced to establish even a subspecific form. It will be 

 observed that the male — and this example agrees with all the 

 others taken at the same time — has much finer vermiculations, 

 giving the back a slightly grayish hue, and the conspicuous black 

 bars on the neck of the Kyska birds have been reduced to very 

 narrow bars or vermiculations, and the general plumage presents 

 a much more delicate pittern. The female shows even more 

 striking changes. The back is decidedly grayish about the tips 

 of the feathers, and the entire under parts are ochraceous buff, 

 narrowly barred with black ; the white on the breast, abdomen, 

 and belly having entirely disappeared, only an occasional white 

 feather showing here and there. The entire throat is a pure 

 light buff. The specimen appears to have assumed a complete 

 summer dress. 



It is very evident that comparisons of Ptarmigans should be 

 made between individuals not only from the same locality, but 

 also taken in the same month, if possible the same day, for these 

 perplexing birds being in a constant state of moult, a few days' 

 difference in the time of their capture exhibits much change in 

 their appearance, and one who has not studied them carefully 

 with sufficient material, could easily be led to form an erroneous 

 opinion regarding the status of a subspecific or even a specific 

 form. As the birds from Atka and the two islands Kyska and 

 Adak are spread before one, the differences between those of the 

 first and the last two loca'ities are so distinguishable and marked 

 thit the most careless observer would be able to detect them, and 

 after a little investigation to separate them without hesitation even 

 if th^y were mixed indiscriminately together, the Atka birds being 



