124 8PITZBEBGEN PTARMIGAN. 



in that country last year. Among these are three specimens of Lagopus, 

 and on comparing them with a tolerably good series of examples of 

 Tj. rupestris from Greenland (L. reinliardti) , and Iceland ( L. island- 

 orumj , I find that the rectrices of all the Spitzbergen birds are so 

 much variegated with white, as fully to deserve the name applied to 

 them by IMr, Gould, while those of rupestris are invariably black, 

 except in some cases at the tip. Furthermore one of the Spitzbergen 

 birds marked 'male' by Herr Von Heuglin, though apparently fully 

 coloured on the breast and back, is of a very different shade from 

 any male of L. rupestris that I remember having seen. Under these 

 circumstances, I think that it is quite possible that L. hemileucurus is 

 entitled to specific rank, though it is certainly more nearly allied to 

 L. rupestris than to L. alpinusr 



A male specimen, kindly lent to me by Professor Newton, of the 

 University of Cambridge, and belonging to the museum there, marked 

 "A. E. Eaton, M.A., Trinity," has the head, neck, and cheeks mottled 

 with rufous and brown; on the back two shades of brown with white 

 feathers; wing with the primaries and secondaries white. Tail coverts 

 white; tail black and brown and white feathers; breast black and 

 brown. Abdomen white. Feet clothed with white to the toes. Inner 

 part of wings white. Length seventeen inches, wing eight inches and 

 a half, tarsus one inch and a half. 



The skin from which my figure is taken belongs to the Museum 

 of the University of Cambridge. It was shot by Mr. Eaton, who 

 presented it to the University. 



The Q^^ is from an admirable drawing made for Professor Newton at 

 Cambridge by Mr. Rippon from the unique q^^ in the united collection 

 of Professor Newton and his brother Edward. In sending to me 

 this drawing the Professor remarks, "It is a most faithful portrait, 

 and the colours are as accurate as is the shape of the markings." I 

 need not say that the thanks of the oological world are due to 

 Professor Newton for thus giving us a fac-simile of this rare and 

 beautiful ^^^. 



This bird has also been figured by Dresser in autumn plumage, 

 which is much more golden. 



