38 General Notes. 



3. Surnia ulula, Linn. — St. Michael's, October, 1876, said to be very 

 rare. This bird also differs from its American representative, /S. funerea, 

 Linn. = (S. ulula var. hudsonia, B. B. & R., Hist. N. Am. Birds, III, p. 

 75) in the great predominance of white on the plumage. 



Owing to the arduous nature of his duties as Signal Observer, which 

 necessitated his presence at or near the post the whole time, Mr. Turner 

 was not able to pay as much attention to the natural history of the re- 

 gion as could be desired, and had to depend in a great measure upon the 

 natives for the specimens which he secured. The results of his endeavors, 

 however, are, considering the circumstances, very satisfactory. He found 

 Sterna aleutica, of which but a single specimen had been collected, very 

 numerous, and obtained a good series of both skins and eggs. Budytes 

 flava was also exceedingly abundant, and its nest and eggs secured, besides 

 many skins of both adult and young birds. — Robert Ridqway, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus rupestris) in the Aleutian Islands. 

 — In the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, February 8,- 

 1873, in a paper entitled " Notes on the Avifauna of the Aleutian Islands, 

 from Unalashka eastward," Mr. W. H. Dall states that Lagopus albus is 

 a " resident from the Shumagins to Unalashka," and;adds : " I made in- 

 quiries in regard to L. rupestris, but could get no information, and do not 

 think the species is found in the islands." In a second paper on the Avi- 

 fauna of the Aleutian Islands west of Unalashka, in the Proceedings of 

 the same society, March 14, 1874, he states that L. albus is " more or less 

 abundant in all the Aleutian Islands," and that, " from careful examina- 

 tion of many specimens, most of which were killed for the table, I feel 

 .sure that this is the only species of Grouse found on the islands, and I be- 

 lieve there is no authenticated instance of the occurrence of L. rupestris 

 west of the 156th meridian." 



From my own observations I am led to believe that Mr. Dall has mis- 

 taken L. rupestris for L. albus, since I found tlie former to be very nu- 

 merous at Unalashka during portions of May and June, 1877, and I also 

 found them common on the Akoutan Islands east of Unalashka, and by in- 

 quiry among the residents of the islands, both native and foreign, I could 

 only learn of the occurrence of this species. I was informed, however, 

 that another species of Ptarmigan is found on the peninsula of Alaska. 



Since arriving at St. Michael's, I learn from Mr. Turner, who has been 

 collecting at this place for the last three years, that L. rupestris is common in 

 the vicinity of St. Michael's, being as numerous as L. albus on the hills 

 of the neighboring mainland. He also informs me that on a single moun- 

 tain on Stewart Island, about twenty-five miles from the mainland, this 

 species is quite numerous. In all of the above-named places the bird 

 breeds and is resident throughout the year. — E. W. Nelson, St. Mi- 

 chael's, Alaska. 



