24 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol.10 



to support a scanty growth of grass and heather. The melting 

 snow kept all these places saturated, the water trickling over the 

 rocks. The numerous, deep gulches seaming the mountain side 

 at frequent intervals were filled with snow, the depth of which 

 we had no means of ascertaining, but in places faces of snow 

 banks were exposed, forty feet high or more. 



The birds were wild and difficult to approach, scattering to 

 some distance when flushed, and alighting on projecting rocks 

 where approaching danger could be watched. There they stood 

 observant, with outstretched necks and nervously twitching tails, 

 uttering an occasional cackle. 



This was the only flock seen here, and before we could hunt 

 farther the weather suddenly turned cloudy, and threatening 

 fog banks settled over the peaks, making traveling dangerous 

 over the slippery, dripping ledges; so. while we could still dis- 

 tinguish directions and landmarks, we hastily descended the 

 mountain. 



Our last effort to secure ptarmigan was made on Mount Arrow- 

 smith, September 6-8. They are known to occur on this moun- 

 tain, and I talked with people who had seen them there, but we 

 failed to find any. The greater part of a day was spent hunting 

 in wind, rain and storm, but with no results, and as, after a 

 wretched night, the storm showed no signs of abating, we gave 

 it up and descended the mountain empty-handed. We tramped 

 over large areas of open, heather-covered slopes well adapted 

 to the species, and with a little more time and under somewhat 

 mi iic favorable circumstances there is no doubt but that they 

 could be found there. 



The six specimens secured on August 20 and 21 (nos. 15607- 

 15612) are all young birds, four males and two females, no 

 adults being obtained, unfortunately. They are largely in the 

 intermediate plumage between the Juvenal and the pure white 

 winter plumage, that designated by Dwight (1900, p. 149) as 

 "first winter plumage, preliminary." This has replaced the soft 

 juvenal plumage on the head, neck, upper breast, and to some 

 extent on the back. The white winter plumage is beginning to 

 appear on the wings, some partly grown lesser wing coverts and 

 the two outer primaries being white. Head, neck, and upper 



