LAGOPUS. 199 



quills, secondaries, and outermost wing-coverts white; lower 

 parts varying from ochraceous to buffy whitish, coarsely and 

 irregularly barred with black. Young : Above coarsely and 

 irregularly varied with black and ochraceous-buff, the latter 

 mostly on or near margins of feathers ; chest, breast, and sides 

 ochraceous-buff, coarsely barred with black ; other lower parts 

 dull white. Downy young : General color olive-buff, tinged with 

 sulphur-yellow on lower parts, and with rusty on chest and 

 upper parts ; crown chestnut, bordered all round by a black 

 line, which is continued from occiput down hind-neck in a 

 broad stripe ; two more or less distinct blackish stripes on 

 rump, and other upper parts irregularly varied, more or less, 

 with black ; a black streak on side of head (most distinct and 

 continuous behind eye). Eggs 1.74 X 1-22, ground-color varying 

 from pale buffy to deep brown, more or less speckled, sprinkled, 

 spotted, or marbled with rich brown or black. Hob. Northern 

 portions of northern hemisphere; south, in winter, in America, 

 to Sitka, northern New York. etc. 



301. Li. lagopus (LINN.). Willow Ptarmigan. 



c 2 . Shafts of secondaries black, and quills (sometimes a few of the wing- 

 coverts also) more or less blotched or mottled with dusky. (Sum- 

 mer plumages and young unknown.) Hob. Newfoundland. 



301a. L,. lagopus alleni STEJN. Allen's Ptarmigan. 



b*. Bill small and slender (depth at base less than .40) ; length 13.00-14.75, 

 wing about 7.00-7.50, bill from nostril about .35, depth at base about 

 .27-.3S ; winter plumage with lores deep black in male (sometimes in 

 female also). 



c 1 . /Summer males with upper parts coarsely vermiculated, the back and 

 scapulars with large black blotches (occupying central portions of 

 feathers). 

 d l . Ground-color of upper parts in summer males grayish brown. 



e l . Summer male: Above grayish brown coarsely vermiculated 

 with black, the vermiculations having a general tendency 

 to form irregular zigzag bars ; scapulars and interscapulars 

 largely black centrally, producing large blotches or irregu- 

 lar spots ; outermost wing-coverts, quills, and secondaries 

 (except tertials) white ; top of head blackish, the feathers 

 tipped with light brownish ; lores black ; rest of head 

 mixed dusky and white, the latter predominating on 

 cheeks, chin, and thrbat ; chest and upper breast regularly 

 barred with blackish and light umber-brown ; sides simi- 

 larly marked, but bars finer and more confused; rest of 

 lower parts white, the lower tail-coverts with concealed 

 portion dusky, or sooty slate. Summer female: Bright 

 ochraceous, irregularly spotted and barred above with 



