NELSON'S PTARMIGAN. 81 



Mr. Turner, in his "Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska," refers 

 to this subspecies in his article on Lagopus rupestris, from which it had not 

 been separated when his account was written. He says: 



" On some of the islands it is extremely abundant, among those may be 

 mentioned Unalaska, Unimak, Akutan, and Akun. It is a resident where 

 found, and, among the islands, rarely leaves its native island. At Unalaska 

 they seem to prefer the high rocky ledges, but everywhere come down to the 

 low narrow valleys to roost and rear their young. They rarely assemble in 

 large flocks; a dozen to twenty individuals usually compose a flock. The 

 season begins in the early part of May, and is continued for about mating 

 three weeks, by which time the site for the nest is chosen, usually amidst the 

 tall grasses at the mouth of a wide valley, or else on the more open tundra 

 among the moss and scanty grass. 



"The nest of this bird is composed of a- few stalks of grass and the feath- 

 ers that may fall from the mother's breast. The nest is a very careless affair, 

 and often, near the completion of incubation, the eggs will lie on the bare 

 ground surrounded by a slight circle of grass stalks that have apparently been 

 kicked aside by the mother impatient of her task. The number of eggs varies 

 from nine to seventeen, eleven being the usual number. The exact date of 

 incubation was not determined by me. The young are able to follow the 

 mother as soon as they are hatched. 



" As this bird never collects into large flocks, I always supposed the flocks 

 seen in winter were the parents with the brood reared the previous summer." 



There are no eggs of Nelson's Ptarmigan in the U. S. National Museum 

 collection, neither have any of the ornithologists, who met with this subspecies, 

 described them. There is every reason to presume, however, that they are 

 indistinguishable from the eggs of the Rock Ptarmigan. 



29. Lagopus rupestris atkhensis (Turner). 



turner's ptarmigan. 



Lagopus mutus atkhensis Turner, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, v, July 29, 



1882, 227, 230. 

 Lagopus rupestris atkhensis Nelson, Cruise of the Corwin, 1883, 56e+82. 



(B— , C— , R— , C— , U 302c.) 



Geographical range : Atka Island, Aleutian Chain. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson states: "Among the specimens secured by Mr. L. M. 

 Turner, during his residence in the Aleutian Islands, are four Ptarmigans, 

 which, upon examination, prove to represent a well-marked geographical race 

 of L. rupestris. His specimens were secured June 7 and May 29, upon Atka 

 Island, at the extreme western end of the Aleutian Chain. They are found 

 upon this island, and undoubtedly upon those adjoining. * * * It is 

 undoubtedly to this race that Mr. Dall refers in his 'Contribution to the 

 26957— Bull. 1 6 



