864 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



secondaries rather paler and more prominent. Summer. — New 

 feathers of summer-plumage like those of L. s. scoticus. 



Adult female. Winter. — -Upper -parts usually rather paler and 

 more yellowish than in L. s. scoticus but often not distinguishable ; 

 under -parts paler and more yellowish and often considerably paler 

 and more uniformly and finely barred. Summer.— New summer 

 feathers as in L. s. scoticus. 



Measurements. — $ wing 187-206 mm., tail 95-110, bill 11-12 

 (12 Irish measured) (4 (J Outer Hebrides, wing 193-207, tail 97-104, 

 bill 11-11.5). $ wing 185-200, tail 90-100, bill 10-12 (11 Irish 

 measured). 



Distribution. — Ireland. — Resident in every county, especially 

 mountains of west and bogs of central plain, but seldom numerous.* 

 Outer Hebrides. — Resident but scarce (specimens examined from 

 Lewis, N. Uist and Benbecula). 



LAGOPUS MUTUS 



489. Lagopus mutus millaisi Hart.— THE SCOTTISH PTARMIGAN. 



L ago pus mutus millaisi Hartert, Brit. B. (Mag.) xvn, p. 106 (1923 — 

 Scotland. New name to replace L. cinereus Macg. which may be con- 

 sidered as a substitute name for former names of Ptarmigan in general). 

 Lagopus cinereus Macgillivray, Hist. Brit. B., 1, p. 187 (1837 — Name 

 to replace Linnseus's " Tetrao lagopus " which had erroneously been 

 supposed to refer to the Alpine Ptarmigan, though locality Scotland and 

 descriptions from Scottish specimens only). 

 Lagopus mutus (Montin), Yarrell, 111, p. 83 ; Saunders, p. 497. 



Description (Plate 13). — Adult male. Autumn. — Lores black 

 speckled white ; head, neck and throat narrowly barred black and 

 white with varying amount of yellowish-buff chiefly on crown and 

 base of throat ; rest of upper -parts, upper tail-coverts, inner 

 median and greater coverts and usually one innermost secondary 

 pale grey slightly tinged brownish and finely and closely ver- 

 miculated black with varying amount of broad black wavy barring 

 especially on mantle and scapulars ; chin more or less barred as 

 throat and with varying amount of white ; breast, flanks and 

 varying number of under tail-coverts bufhsh-grey to buff finely 

 barred and vermiculated black, feathers of flanks and tail-coverts 

 mostly with small white tips ; rest of under -parts including 

 axillaries and under wing-coverts, tarsus and toes white ; tail 

 black, central pair varying with extreme base and tips white, or 

 whole distal half white or entirely white, black portion often more 

 or less vermiculated grey, next three or four pairs with short white 

 tips (exceptionally one or both feathers of central pair is moulted at 

 beginning of autumn moult and is grey as upper tail-coverts and is 

 then moulted again at conclusion of tail moult about a month or so 

 afterwards) ; wing-coverts (except inner) and wing-feathers white 



* A certain number of birds or eggs from Great Britain have been intro- 

 duced from time to time in various parts of Ireland. — H.F.W. 





