508 Letters, Notes and Extracts. 
Expedition,” who were then returning from Franz-Josef 
Land to the United States. Among many details of their 
two years’ stay in the Arctic Regions, the most interesting 
to me was the fact that they had obtained several specimens 
of a Ptarmigan. Unfortunately the skins had been shipped 
with the heavy luggage to New York, so that I could not 
examine them; and I have only just received full infor- 
mation regarding the species to which the birds belong. 
Mr. Champ of New York, who superintended most of the 
details of the Expedition on Mr. Ziegler’s behalf, and to 
whose energy its relief after the loss of the ship was due, 
kindly sent the skins to the American Museum of Natural 
History, New York, at my request; and I append Mr. Miller’s 
reply to my enquiries concerning them. From p. 115, 
‘Fighting the Polar Ice,’ by Mr. Anthony Fiala, it appears 
that the birds were shot in 1904 by the members of 
Mr. R. W. Porter’s party. 
Although several expeditions had previously visited the 
archipelago of Franz-Josef’s Land, this is the first record of a 
Ptarmigan being found there. I also have never been able 
to obtain any absolute record of either Ptarmigan or Grouse 
being found on any of the three islands of Novaya Zemlya. 
The only reliable information that we have as to the distri- 
bution of these birds in that direction is from Mr. F. G. 
Jackson, in his book ‘The Great Frozen Land’ (p. 112). 
He says :—“ About eight miles up from our camp I found 
some Aoropatki—the riper of Norway, and our. own 
Ptarmigan—on a patch of scrub. This was the first time I 
had met with it; and, so faras my own journey is concerned, 
the Korotaika River (or Karataikha)—a river running into 
Barents Sea, some 4.0 miles south of Habarova—marks its 
north-eastern limit,” 
If any stragglers from Spitsbergen have succeeded in 
establishing themselves on Franz-Josef Land, it is possible 
that they may eventually extend to Novaya Zemlya, as they 
are doubtless the species of Lagopus best adapted to with- 
stand the climate of that country. 
I am, Sirs, yours obediently, 
Henry J. Pearson. 
