ROCK PTARMIGAN. 99 



lowish-brown ; the tail consisting of fourteen black 

 feathers, with the white tips worn off, and of two 

 central incumbent feathers, which with the adjoining 

 coverts, are barred like the back ; tarsal feathers very 

 short; toes naked beneath and partially so above. No 

 summer specimens of the male were brought home ; 

 but that sex differs in having the black eye stripe, 

 and in the middle of the belly being white."* 



Total length of the summer female, 14 inches; 

 tail, 4; wing, 7; tarsus, 1. 4J ; lines of middle toe, 

 1 ; nail of ditto, 1 line. 



The dimensions of the Sutherlandshire specimen 

 alluded to, are as follows, and the w r oodcut will show 

 the proportions of the bill : The entire length is 



rather more than 12 inches, but would not exceed 

 12 J ; of the wing to the extremity of the third 

 quill, 7| ; of the tarsus, 1 f , equalling that of the 

 centre toe, nail included ; the nail about f . On the 

 upper parts the dark or ground colour of the feather 

 is deep brownish or pitch-black ; but each feather is 

 cut into, or partially barred, with ochreous-yellow 

 on the back and tail-coverts, being tipped and edged 

 with a much paler tint, sometimes approaching to 

 yellowish- white ; the quills, secondaries, and shoul- 



* North. Zool. ii. p. 356. 



