Descrip- 

 tion. 



360 PTARMIGAN. Class II. 



species at the same time from Norway, and am 

 convinced that they are not the same. 



These two birds differ greatly ; the former* 

 being above twice the size of the Ptarmigan ; 

 and the color of its summer plumage quite dif- 

 ferent ; that of Mr. Edwards' bird being mark- 

 ed with large spots of white, and dull orange ; 

 that of the Ptarmigan is of a pale brown or 

 ash-color, elegantly crossed or motled with 

 small dusky spots, and minute bars ; the head 

 and neck with broad bars of black, rust-color, 

 and white : the wings are white, but the shafts 

 of the greater quil-feathers black ; the belly 

 white. In the male, the grey color predomi- 

 nates, except on the head and neck where there 

 is a great mixture of red, with bars of white ; 

 but the whole plumage in this sex is extremely 

 elegant. The females and young birds have a 

 great deal of rust-color in them : both agree in 

 their winter dress, being entirely white, except 

 as follows : in the male a black line occurs be- 

 tween the bill and the eyes; the shafts of the 

 seven first quil-feathers are black ; the tail of the 

 Ptarmigan consists of sixteen feathers, the two 

 middle of which are ash- colored, motled with 



* White grous. Arct. Zool. i. 360. Tetrao albus. Lath, 

 bid. orn. 639. Syn. iv. 743. 



