BIRDS — TETEAONIDAE — LAGOPUS EUPESTEIS. 



635 



of settling the synonymy of the different species, and can only call this one Lagopus cdbus as a 

 provisional appellation. Bonaparte, in his list of Tetraonidae, in Oomptes Kendus XLV^ Sept. 

 185T, 428, assigns to America three species: L. rupestris, Lath., with L. americanua, Aud., 

 and lagopus of American writers as synonyms ; L. groenlandicus, Brehm., with L. reinhardiii? 

 Brehm, as synonyms, and L. leucurus. The European white ptarmigans are given as L, 

 albus, L. mutus, and L. islandorum, Faber, the latter differing from albus in the stouter bill. 

 It will be noted that this difference of bill appears to characterise the Newfoundland ptarmigan 

 as compared with those from Hudson's bay. As, however, the original Teirao albus of Gmelin is 

 based primarily "on descriptions of American specimens, such as Lagopede de la Bale de Hudson 

 of Buffon, White partridge of Ellis, &c., it will be proper to use it here, whatever be its 

 relationship to European forms. 



List of specimens. 



LAGOPUS EUPESTEIS, Leach. 



Rock Ptarmigan. 



Tetrao rupestris, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 751. Based on rock grouse of Pennant. — Lathah, Ind. Orn. II, 1790, 



312. — Sabine, Supplem. Parry's First Voyage, page cxcv Richardson, Append, Parry's Second 



Voyage, 348.— Ann. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 483 ; pi. 368. 



Lagopus rupestris, Leach, Zool. Misc. il, 290.— Eon. List, 1838.— Aud. Syn. 208.— Ib. Birds Araer. V, 1842, 122 ; 

 pi. 301. 



Tetro (Lagopus) rupestris. Swains, F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 354 ; pi. ixiv. 



Mtagen rupestris, Reich. Ar. Syst. Nat. 1851, page xxix. 



Rock grouse, Pennant, Arctic Zool. II, 312. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill slender ; distance from the nasal groove to tip greater than height at base. In summer the feathers of back 

 black, banded distinctly with yellowish brown and tipped with white. In winter white, the tail black ; the male with a black 

 bar from bill through eye. Size considerably less than that of L. albus. Length about 14.50 inches ; wing, 7.50 ; tail, 4.50. 



Hai. — Arctic America. 



Bill from the nasal groove considerably longer than the greatest depth of both mandibles 

 taken together. G-onys about equal to width of lower mandible below. First quill intermediate 

 between sixth and seventh. ' Claws very large and broad, equal to the culmen. Tail of fourteen 

 black feathers'and foui: middle white ones. Tail about two-thirds the length of wings. 



