HOCK PTARMIGAN,; 
291 
the beak to the eye. The manners differ some- 
what, as it inhabits rocky places or juniper plains 
at all seasons. It frequently stretches the neck 
out, and makes a croaking kind of noise. They 
are very numerous at the two extremes of the 
Bay, but never visit the middle settlement except 
in very severe weather. This is called by the 
natives Uscathachish, by the English Rock-Par- 
tridge ; whereas the other is distinguished by the 
name of WapatheuJ' 
Temminck describes a specimen he received 
from America, as a variety of the common Ptar- 
migan • future observations will no doubt enable 
ornithologists to determine the fact, whether it be 
a distinct species, or only a variety of that bird. 
The black streak between the beak and eye, which 
appears to be a leading character in this species, 
is w^ell marked, although the bird appears to be 
nearly in its summer plumage : the top of the 
head and the hinder part of the neck are varied 
with black feathers, striped with rufous, and white 
at their bases ; the top of the back, the scapulars, 
and the breast, black : the feathers of the lower 
part of the back, the rump, and the upper tail- 
coverts, grey-brown, wdth zigzag black stripes, 
each feather having a bar of black, and a white tip : 
the throat, the lower part of the neck, the under 
parts of the body, and the wdngs, pure white : the 
tarsi slightly covered wdth feathers: the last joint 
of the toes nearly nuked. 
