WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN, ZAGOPUS LEUCURUS. 
ALLAN BROOKS. 
Although this is the whitest of the 
ptarmigan it has a more Southerly range 
than any of its congeners, being found 
along the highest peaks of the Rocky 
and Cascade mountains as far South as 
Colorado. It can always be distinguished 
from other ptarmigan by its entirely white 
tail feathers; the outer tail feathers of the 
more Northern species being more or less 
black at all seasons. 
In British Columbia I have taken it 
within 60 miles of the coast, but only on 

cinium, with a small claret colored berry. 
It is difficult to secure specimens of this 
bird in full summer plumage, many indi- 
viduals retaining a portion of their snow 
white winter plumage throughout the 
summer. 
No sooner do they acquire their sum- 
mer plumage, than the more finely ver- 
miculated feathers of autumn dress begin 
to show through the darker colored sum- 
mer feathers and before this plumage is 
complete the white winter feathers ap- 
Qilan Brooks. 
de 
WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN, LAGOPUS LEUCURUS. 
the highest peaks. In summer it frequents 
the region at or about timber line. The 
old males after the breeding season is 
over, or when the females are sitting, 
are found on the extreme summits of 
the peaks and ridges, among the barren 
rocks where only a few hardy plants and 
grasses. can be found, such as Campion 
(Silene:acaulis), and Cinquefoil (Potentilla.) 
In spring and summer its principal food 
is the buds and smaller leaves of the 
dwarf Vaccinium, or blueberry; later it 
eats enormous qvtiantities of the berries 
of this species, and in the interior of Brit- 
ish Columbia, of an allied species of Vac- 
pear. So the bird is in a continual moult 
from May until the end of October. 
Young in first plumage resemble adults 
in autumn dress. 
The feathers of the toes are shed dur- 
ing the summer, only those on the basal 
half being retained. In winter the whole 
foot is covered with a dense growth of 
feathers, almost concealing the long broad 
claws, whence the generic name Lagopus, 
or hare’s-foot. The comb over the eye is 
scarlet as in other ptarmigans. 
In the illustration the right hand bird 
is in full autumn ,lumage, the left hand 
in summer. Both are males. 
S57! 

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