4 ACCIDENTAL OCCURENCE IN NOVA SCOTIA 



(the only form there), and on the western side of Baffin Bay 

 and Davis Strait, viz. on Ellismere Land, western shores of 

 Cumberland Sound, Melville Peninsula {vide Arctic Manual, 

 .1875), northern Ungava, and northern extremity of 

 Labrador, probably nearly as far southeastward as about 

 Okkak in Labrador. This race, therefore, replaces the preced- 

 ing from about Melville Peninsula or Baffin Land. It does 

 not occur nearer to Nova Scotia than the district somewhat to 

 the north of Okkak, Labrador, which is about 940 miles north 

 of this province. 



Welch's Ptarmigan, L. welchi, Bx-ewster, 1885, A.O.U. 

 303, is an insular geographic race which is only found on the 

 interior (?) elevated parts of the island of Newfoundland, 

 where it occurs with a race of the Willow Ptarmigan, known as 

 Allen's Ptarmigan (L. lagopus alleni). Welch's bird may be 

 generally considered as non-migratory. Cape Ray, the near- 

 est point of Newfoundland, is only about 275 miles northeast 

 of Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. 



Otir specimen must be either WelcJi's or the Rock Ptarmigan. 

 — The northern range of Reinhardt's Ptarmigan should dis- 

 miss it from mind in relation with the Elmsdale specimen, as 

 it would have had to cover at least 940 miles in coming here. 

 Therefore I think the latter must be referred either to Welch's 

 (L. zvelchi) or to the typical Rock Ptarmigan {L. rupestris 

 rupestris). 



The question of identity as affected by distance jro7n normal 

 southern range. — We will see if the matter may be still further 

 narrowed down. As we have found that the nearest southern 

 winter range of the typical Rock Ptarmigan is Hamilton Inlet, 

 lat. 54°, about 700 miles to the north of us, it is far more pro- 

 bable, when the traversed distance is considered, that our 

 specimen is Welch's Ptarmigan of Newfoundland, which island 

 is only about 275 miles northeast of the place v/here the bird 

 was taken, and it would only have had to come one-third the 

 distance the Rock Ptarmigan would have to come from Hamil- 

 ton Inlet. Cabot Strait, which separates Newfoundland from 

 Cape North, Cape Breton Island, is only about 64 miles wide. 



