1924] Swarth: Birds and Mammals of the Skeena River Region 331 



Lagopus lagopus alexandrae Grinnell. Alexander Willow Ptarmigan 



Ptarmigan are said to occur oceasioDally in the lowlands of the 

 Hazelton region in midwinter, but during most of the year they are 

 restricted to the Alpine-Arctic mountain tops. We found them in 

 limited numbers on the timberless summit of Nine-mile Mountain. 

 There are miles of open country on the two converging ridges that 

 form the top of this mountain, barren of trees save for occasional 

 thickets of dwarfed or prostrate Alpine conifers, and here, at long 

 intervals, we encou.ntered ptarmigan. It is a curious fact, whether or 

 no it was a mere coincidence, that on one of the two ridges only white- 

 tailed ptarmigan were found, on the other, willow and rock ptarmigan 

 were seen, but no white-tailed. To all seeming the two ridges were of 

 exactly the same character. In all, ten broods of willow and rock 

 ptarmigan were encountered (the species were not always to be differ- 

 entiated) and aboiit five or six single birds in addition. The broods 

 ranged from three to twelve in nu.mber ; the aggregate of young birds 

 seen was about fifty. The chicks grew rapidly. Some seen on July 25, 

 and a day or two later, were down-covered and unable to fly. At that 

 time they were accompanied by the female parent only, and the male 

 birds were flushed separately. By August TO the young ptarmigan 

 were the size of quail and larger, and were strong on the wing. The 

 old males were then associated with the families. In some of the larger 

 broods seen the difference in size among the young was so marked as 

 to suggest the junction of tAvo families. It might happen that upon 

 the death of a hen her offspring would seek the companionship of 

 another family. 



Five willow ptarmigan were collected (nos. 42028-42032), four 

 adult males and one adult female. Three males have much white on 

 the lower breast and abdomen, the fourth is almost solidly in the 

 brown su.mmer plumage. Many willow ptarmigan from different 

 localities in the northwest have been available for comparison with 

 these birds. Of Lagopus lagopus lagopus there is in this Museum 

 from northern Alaska and Yukon (Eowak and Yukon- rivers) a series 

 of ninety-four skins, including a number in summer plumage or in 

 process of change. Of L. I. alexandrae, there are eleven specimens 

 from island localities in southeastern Alaska, including five summer 

 males, and one male and two females in first fall plumage. A pair 

 of breeding adults from Porch er Island, British Columbia, was loaned 

 bj'' Allan Brooks. There have been available, from the collection of the 



