82 LIFE HISTOEIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Ornithology of the western end of the Aleutian Chain,' when he speaks of 

 finding nine much incubated eggs on June 21, at Attu Island, and chicks 

 which were hatched at Kiska July 8." 1 



Mr. Turner himself writes: "When I first obtained these birds I was 

 struck with the greater size, and also, with the shape of the bill, and greater 

 length of the claws when compared with the mainland bird. This bird fre- 

 quents the lowlands and hills of the western islands of the Aleutian Chain. 

 They are quite plentiful on Atka, Amchitka, and Attu Islands. The nest is 

 built amongst the rank grasses at the bases of hills and the lowlands near 

 the beach. It is carelessly arranged with a few dried grass stalks and other 

 trash that may be near. The eggs vary from eleven to seventeen, and are 

 darker in color than those of the L. rupestris and but slightly inferior in size 

 to those of L. lagopus. A number of eggs of this species were procured, but 

 broken in transportation; hence, I- can give no measurements of them. 



"The general habits of this species are those of the other species. At 

 Attu they frequent the higher elevations, probably on account of the great 

 number of foxes (Vulpes lagopus Baied) which occur on that island and have 

 but little to subsist on. The natives of Attu assert that this species of Ptar- 

 migan occurs on Agattu Island, and that it is quite numerous there, probably 

 on account of the absence of foxes." 2 



Nothing further is known of the nesting habits of Turner's Ptarmigan, 

 and no specimens of their eggs have as yet found their way into the U. S. 

 National Museum collection. 



30. Lagopus welchi Beewstee. 



Welch's ptaemigan. 



Lagopus welchi Beewstee, Auk, 11, April, 1885, 194. 



(B — , C — , R — , C — U 303.) 



Geogeaphical eange : Newfoundland. 



This newly described species is based on specimens obtained during May 

 and June, 1883, by Mr. George 0. Welch, in whose honor it has been named. 



Mr. Brewster states: "The colors in the male of this Ptarmigan are con- 

 fused and blended to such a degree that a detailed description, however care- 

 fully drawn, fails to do them justice. The general effect is that of a dark, 

 grayish-plumbeous bird (colored not unlike the Oregon form of the Dusky 

 Grouse), plentifully besprinkled with fine dots of pepper-and-salt color. * * * 



"According to Mr. Welch these Ptarmigan are numerous in Newfound- 

 land, where they are strictly confined to the bleak sides and summits of rocky 

 hills and mountains in the interior. Unlike the Willow Grouse of that island, 

 which in winter wander long distances and frequently cross the Gulf to Lab- 



'Eeport on the Natural History Collections made in Alaska 1877-1881, Nelson, p. 139. 

 2 Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska, 1886, Turner, p. 156, 



