1924] Swarth: Birds and Mammals of the SkeenaBiver Region 333 



Lagopus rupestris (Gmelin), subsp.? Rock Ptarmigan 

 Three specimens collected on Nine-mile Mountain, two young birds 

 (nos. 42033-42034.) partly in natal down, partly in juvenal plumage, 

 taken August 1, and an adult female (no. 42035) collected August 5. 



'•teHSj.'HPCB'rt'^^M*^ f^*A*'':'>'»«?*' TC-^v^rt* ' jipii^ 



Fig. A. Tail of female rock ptarmigan Cno. 42035), natural size. The 

 outermost feather on each side is widely spread from the others to show pattern 

 of coloration on inner web. Drawn by Allan Brooks. 



There are not available enough summer specimens from other points 

 to enable me to determine the subspecific status of these birds. There 

 is at hand one summer-plumaged female from the Jade Mountains, 

 north of the Kowak River, collected May 28, 1899 (no. 32170), pre- 

 sumably representative of Lagopus rupestris rupestris. Compared 

 with the Nine-mile Mountain female, the Jade Mountains specimen is 

 much brighter colored. There is a great deal of bright hazel in the 

 plumage. The Nine-mile Mountain bird has a smaller bill (as com- 

 pared also with many winter females from the Kowak River region), 

 and is darker colored. Areas on individual feathers that in the 



