1S84.] Stkjneoer, Analccta Oniitliologica. 225 



ANALECTA (^RNITIIOLOGICA. 



Second Series. 



V.\ I-EONIIAUD STKJNKGKR. 



VI. On the Ptarmigans oy Nelson's '•Birds op^ Bering 

 Sea,' etc., especially those belonging to the 

 GROUP Attagen Kaup. * 



In a recent review of Nelson's 'Birds of Bering Sea and the 

 Arctic Ocean' (Auk, 1SS4, P- 79)' ^^"- E. Coues makes the fol- 

 lowing remarks upon the Ptarmigans : — 



"The case of the Ptarmigan, as presented by Mr. Nelson, can 

 be understood only by reference to the erratum leaf. One is La- 

 gopus albus. Two others (Nos. 78 and 79) are to be treated as 

 one, both being headed '• Lagopus rupestris., Rock Ptarmigan.' 

 Thirdly comes No. 80, a certain '■Lagopus riipestris occide7ttalis^ 

 Turner, Atkhan Ptarmigan.' . . . Mr. Nelson's fourth Ptarmigan 

 is headed ^ Lagop7i,s alpimis., Subalpine Ptarmigan,' and is only 

 reported as from Siberia, and upon Nordenskjold's authority." 



Dr. Coues will take no offence when I declare that I cannot 

 "understand the case by reference to the erratum leaf," and that 

 I tind it quite comprehensible if, in this case, we only pay no at- 

 tention whatever to that ominous erratum leaf of the 'Cruise of 

 the Corwin.' In reading Nelson's article about No. 79, Lagopus 

 rupestris bis., it is evident that it is written under the supposition 

 that the heading contained a name different from that of rupestris., 

 either specifically or subspecifically. We turn now to that 

 famous 'leaf in order to find the name which ought to distinguish 

 No. 79, the 'Ounalaskan form,' of which "but two specimens in 

 the summer plumage are in existence" ; but we will only find 

 there that "through an error the notes under numbers 78 and 79 



* Attagen Kaup, Entw. Eur. Thierw., p. 170, 1829 (types monta;nis { = miitits\ and 

 islandiais \^= islandoruni\) (nee Naum. 1833, qiice Tetrastes ; nee Afage?i Gray, Gen. 

 Birds, III, 668, 1845, i/uce Fregafa Briss. ; nee Attagis Geofr. and Less. 1830) = 

 Kf/vJi "Montin" Gray, Handl. Birds, II, p. 278, 1870. — ATTa-yijv Aristot. (ix, 36, 5) 

 a gallinaceous bird, probably Perdix cinova. Lat. Attagen Plinius, is Lagopus tnuta, 

 among others. — Kernn is not used by Montin as a generic or sub-generic term, but is 

 simply the Lappic name appended to Tetrao in brackets. In the same manner is the 

 Finnish name for L. a/lni, 'Rehusak,' appended to the systematic name of the latter. 



