CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 205 



CIX. LAGOPTJS. Brisson. 1760. 

 301. Willow Ptarmigan. 



Lagopus lagopus (Linn.) Stejn. 1885. 



This species and the Rock Ptarmigan with their sub-species are 

 found throughout the whole northern part of the American con- 

 tinent including all the islands on the Atlantic side from New- 

 foundland westward. Both species breed to the north of the 

 thickly wooded country but the Willow Ptarmigan is more 

 southern and less elevated in its range. In winter it enters the 

 sub-arctic forest and often descends to the margins of the northern 

 settlements, but the Rock Ptarmigan is much less common. 



The breeding range of this species extends across Labrador 

 and the region west of Hudson Bay and stretches northward into 

 the Barren Grounds and southward into the spruce forest along 

 their southern border. In Alaska it is also abundant but is 

 restricted in summer to the barren sea-coast or on the open 

 grounds of the interior. Its winter range is less defined as it is 

 found much further south in some winters than in others. Mr. 

 Brewster found this species with young birds at Fox Bay, Anti- 

 costi, in summer, so that the southern breeding limit may extend 

 much further south than is indicated above. 



A transient visitor about Montreal in winter, but common in 

 eastern Quebec north of the St. Lawrence. We have no account 

 of its occurrenee in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. A casual 

 visitor on the Gatineau north of the city of Ottawa, and at the 

 Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior. The three points cited above 

 show that it may be looked for in winter in all the northern 

 forest. Mr. Tavernier writes that Mr. Herring af Toronto showed 

 him a freshly killed specimen taken at Whitby June i8th, 1899. 

 Its winter range westward of Lake Superior to Lake Winnipeg is 

 not well defined but Mr. Seaton-Thompson cites many instances 

 of its occurrence in northern Manitoba and west and east of Lake 

 Winnipeg. Thence westward its winter range seems to be cop- 

 fined to spruce woods, seldom coming south of Lat. 53° in the 

 Saskatchewan country. Nelson and Turner unite in stating that 

 it is a plentiful resident on the entire mainland coast of Alaska in 

 summer ; in winter it retires to the forest. The only notice of 



