82 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS OCCIDENTALIS Turner. 



(80.) Atkhan Ptarmigan. 



At the western end of the Aleutian chain occurs another form of I'tanuigan, as is shown by 

 specimens secaued on the Ishiud of Atkha by Mr. L. M. Turner during his residence at tliat place. 

 This form differs in several important respects from the Onnalaskan birds, as it does also from the 

 bird of the mainland. Mr. Turner has designated his interesting variety as given at the head of 

 this paragra])h, and desitribes it in his Contributions to the Ornithology of Alaska, which at the 

 l)resent writing is being prepared. Concerning the habits of this form I possess no information. 

 Its distribution, however, must be limited, since it is found only on the western extremity of the 

 Aleutian chain, and very probably forms merely a local race peculiar to the island where obtained, 

 ])erhaps extending its range to the few adjoining islands. 



LAGOPUS ALPINUS. 



(81.) SuBALPiNE Ptarmigan. 



On the north coast of Siberia occurs this form, according to the narrative ot the Vega's voyage, 

 in which Nordenskiold records finding this species resident at their winter quarters on the Siberian 

 coast to the northwest of Bering Straits. In the middle of December he found a tlock of fifty of 

 them at Tapkan. Still farther to the west along the share occurs this or an allied species, as 

 Iledenstrom records, a species of Ptarmigan wintering upon the Xew Siberian Islands, which is 

 the same as is found on tlie adjacent coast of Siberia. It seems remarkable that these birds should 

 be able to sustain life during the intense cold and fierce storms which sweep over these desolate 

 Arctic islands. Nordenskiijld, in his Voyage of the Vega, states that they found a "fell" in the 

 winter of 1872, Just south of the eightieth parallel, on Spitzbergen, where about 1,000 of these birds 

 wintered. He thinks some of these at times hybernate in ci-evices among the rocks or pass the 

 winter " in a kind of toipid state." Whether this hybernation theory is justified by the facts or not, 

 it certainly ap])ears very curious that these grouse are able to winter in 80° north latitude, passing 

 safely through the several weeks of continuous total darkness which occurs there in midwinter, 

 and be found fat and vigorous as soon as the sun appears above the horizon; yet such are the 

 recorded facts. Just how the bird manages to exist during this time remains to be satisfactorily 

 accounted for. The s^iecies found in Spitzbergen, to which tliis relates, is the lAigopm Hyperhoreus. 

 .lust what the relationship is which the IJock (irouse of Northeastern Siberia bears to those found 

 on the adjacent coast of North America and to the Aleutian Islands races remains a question to be 

 solved only when a sufficient series of the birds from the various regions in (juestion may be brought 

 together. At present the material in this [luzzling group is entirely insufficient to make any definite 

 statement on the matter, and it will remain for some future explorer to solve the problem. It is to 

 be hoped that some of the present parties now in that region will bring material which will aid in 

 settling tliis interesting subject. 



H.EMATOPODID.I-:. OYSTER CATCHERS. 



h^matopus niger pall, 



(82.) The Black Oyster Catcher. 



The JJlack Oyster Catcher, although one of the most robust of the waders found in the North 

 does not extend its range beyond the shores of the Aleutian Islands, and thence across to the 

 Kurile Islands and adjoining Asiatic coast, where it is recorded by Pallas. 



STREPSILAS INTERFRES (Linn.) Illig. 



(83.) The Common Turnstone. 



Along the entire Alaskan coast, from the Aleutian Islands north to Point Barrow, this bird 

 is a summer resident, although it does not occur in abundance at any point. Its habits are very 

 similar to those of the other small waders with which it associates during this season. In autumn 



