100 ROCK PTARMIGAN. 



ders, are pure white, the shafts of the former black, 

 and having sometimes a brownish-black tint accom- 

 panying their length ; the tail contains sixteen 

 feathers ; the outer pair are edged with white along 

 the outer web, and, with the next six, on each side, 

 are dull black ; the centre, or eighth pair, are grey, 

 mottled with dull black, white at the tips, where 

 they are also slightly worn ; the upper covers reach 

 within a quarter of an inch of the end of the 

 tail. On the cheeks, throat, neck, and breast, the 

 yellow and pale markings predominate to a greater 

 extent, and on the latter assume more the form of 

 bars ; on the belly, flank, and other lower parts, the 

 yellow markings still prevail, and assume a greater 

 space in the form of transverse broken masses, while 

 in the lower part of the breast, and centre of the 

 belly, there are many pure white feathers, which 

 give a paler or more hoary shade to these parts ; 

 the tarsi and half of the toes only are strongly 

 feathered; the nails are brownish-black, paler at 

 the base. 



On comparison, our specimen will be seen to be 

 nearly two inches shorter, in extreme length, than 

 that of Dr. Richardson and Mr. Swainson's birds, 

 the markings running in them more in bars. In 

 our Scotch specimen, also, there are occasionally 

 feathers interspersed, having the grey and white 

 markings of the young birds, and males, in autumn 

 plumage ; but whether the Rock and Common Ptar- 

 migan may be found to be distinct or not, we have 

 little doubt that the female of the former, in the 



