122 8PITZBEBGEN PTARMIGAN. 



The Ptarmigan of Spitzbergen seems to be distinct from our own, 

 and I therefore accord it a place in my book. Its history is short. 

 In 1858 Mr. Gould gave a description of the bird in the P. Z. S., 

 p. 354. Since then it has had various opinions expressed upon its 

 character as a species or as a mere variety of Lagojnis t^upestris. Professor 

 ISTewton, Sundevall, Von Heuglin, Elliott, the late Mr. Evans, and 

 lastly Mr. Dresser have held various opinions. At first in doubt, 

 Professor Newton is, I believe I may now say, convinced of its 

 distinctness, while the rest seem to have no doubt, and Mr. Dresser 

 founds his opinion upon structural differences in the colour and 

 markings of the tail. We will look into the statements made. 



First, Mr. Gould, in P. Z. S., 1858, thus describes the female in 

 summer plumage: — "As is the case with all other Ptarmigans in their 

 summer plumage, the primaries are white, in this species most of the 

 secondaries and the wing coverts are also white; the remainder of 

 the plumage is rayed with black and ochreous yellow, the black 

 predominating on the upper surface, while the feathers of the flanks 

 are beautifully and equally barred with these two colours; feet white, 

 the nails jet black, and the bill brown. Total length about sixteen 

 inches, wing eight inches and a half, tail five inches and a half, tarsus 

 one inch and three quarters." 



Professor Newton, in the Ibis for 1865, p. 503, gives a very good 

 account of this bird, but ends by doubting whether it be distinct or 

 not from Lagopus rupestris. The Ibis for 1871 contains a further 

 communication from the Professor, in which he concurs that the 

 species is a good one. Mr. Dresser has no doubt upon the subject; 

 and I believe I may say that most naturalists are of the same opinion. 



From Professor Newton^s first paper in the Ibis I copy the 

 following: — "The Ptarmigan in Spitzbergen is not a common bird, 

 though it has been met with in several localities on the north and 

 west coasts. Marten found his *Ice Bird' (if that is to be referred 

 to this species,) on the shore of the English Bay, where Lord 

 Dufferin (^Letters from High Latitudes,' p. 316,) subsequently mentions 

 his having met with two or three dozen and killing sixteen. Parry's 

 party found it in Hecla Cove. Professor Sundevall, who accompanied 

 the French Expedition of 1858, obtained the example which was the 

 subject of Herr Von "Wright's figure, and is now in the Stockholm 

 Museum, in Bell Sound. Messrs. Evans and Strange describe it as 

 being in 1855 rather numerous and breeding in Coal Bay, where my 

 companions last year searched for it in vain. Dr. Malmgren, in his 

 former voyage, found it in Wide Bay, Brandywine Bay, and Loom 



