Vol. XXIV, pp. 233-236 November 28, 1911 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



s 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW BIRDS FROM CANADA. 



BY J. H. RILEY. 



[Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.] 



While working up the collection of birds taken on the 1911 

 Alpine Club of Canada's expedition to Jasper Park, Yellowhead 

 Pass, and the Mount Robson region, the following birds have 

 been found to be apparently unnamed and are herewith de- 

 scribed. 



Lagopus lagopus ungavus subsp. nov. 



Type, U. S. National Museum, No. 101,068, adult male, Ft. Chirno, 

 Ungava, July 22, 1.884. Collected by L. M. Turner ( original No. 5823). 



Like Lagopus lagopus albus, but with a heavier bill. Measurement of 

 type: Wing, 205; tail, 128; culmen, 21.5; depth of bill at base, 15. 



Remarks. Leaving out of consideration Lagopus lagopus alexandrse, 

 which is recognized as a perfectly distinct form, I have gone over the 

 same ground as Mr. A. H. Clark,* with some additional material, and 

 reached the following conclusions: That the name Lagopus lagopus 

 lagopus should be restricted to the small-billed European bird and that 

 the bird from the west side of Hudson Bay should be known as Lagopus 

 lagopus albus. 7 Specimens from the mountains of western Alberta ^.nd 

 eastern British Columbia are slightly smaller than birds from Hudson 

 Bay and northern Alaska. There appear to be no color differences except 

 in Lagopus lagopus' alexandrse, which is darker. In my opinion, the 

 willow ptarmigans of the North American mainland can be separated into 

 at least three recognizable races, as follows : 



1. Lagopus lagopus alexandrse Grinnell, from the southwest coast of 

 Alaska. 



2. Lagopus lagopus albus Gmelin, from the west side of Hudson Bay, 

 west through northern Alaska to eastern Siberia. 



:'.. Lagopus lagopus ungavus subsp. nov., from Ungava and probably 

 the eastern shore of Hudson Bay south. 



* Proc. T. S. Nat. Mus.. :'-s. X,,. 1727, April ::o, 1010, f>l. 

 HTetrav] albus (Jineliii, Sys. Nat., I, pt. 2, 750. 



45 PROC. BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XXIV, 1911. (233) 



