154 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 



and also to allow her to bring the warmth of her body directly in contact with the eggs. Birds 

 killed just on the approach of the moult for winter always revealed pinfeathers having a white 

 feather just starting out. 



The Eskimo name of this Ptarmigan is A Tcdzh gik, and refers to the sound produced by this 

 bird when alarmed. Then the note is a Icaalc, when sounded deep in the throat. 



302. Lagopus rupestris (Gmel.). Eoclc Ptarmigan. 



The Rock Ptarmigan is found on all the hills and higher ground along the entire coast region of 

 Alaska. In the interior it is found only on the mountain chains. It is abundant within the Arctic 

 circle and down to Kadiak Island. To the westward it is found on the peninsula of Aliaska and 

 all of the eastern islands of the Aleutian chain. It is the only species of Ptarmigan found on the 

 eastern Aleutian Islands, unless. the Willow Ptarmigan may be found on the island of Unimak, a 

 few miles from the peninsula of Aliaska. On some of the islands it is extremely abundant ; among 

 those may be mentioned Unalashka, Unimak, Akutan, and Akoon. 



It is resident where found ; and, among the islands, rarely leaves its native island. At Akutan 

 they are more abundant than elsewhere observed. They come even directly into the village, and 

 may be seen or heard at any time on the hill-sides near by. 



At Unalashka they seem to prefer the high, rocky let! ges, 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 comprise a flock. 



The mating season begins in the early part of May, and is continued for about three weeks, by 

 which time a site for the nest is chosen, usually amidst the tall grasses at the mouth of a wide 

 valley, or else on the open tundra among the moss and scanty grass. 



The male has assumed his summer plumage of rich chestnut, fulvous, and black markings on 

 the neck, head, back, and edges of the wings, the rest of the body being white, which, by its 

 contrast with the other colors, makes a magnificent plumage. The female has less chestnut, black, 

 and white plumage, and more of the fulvous to render her less conspicuous. In the male the neck 

 is stretched along the ground, the tail spread and thrown over the back, the wings outstretched, 

 while he utters a rattling croak that may be heard for a long distance. 



They seem to be less pugnacious than the Willow "Grouse" or Ptarmigan. 



The nest of this bird is composed of a few stalks of grass and a few feathers that 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. The power of flight of this bird is much stronger than its congener. 

 It is sustained for a longer period and much more rapid. The flesh of this species is better than 

 that of the Willow Ptarmigan and is much sought for as food. The best time to hunt this bird is 

 early in the morning when the wind is calm and a moist snow is falling. The birds are then slug- 

 gish and dislike to rise to the hill-tops. At Saint Michael's this bird is more often seen in the 

 winter, as during the summer it is on such parts of the mountains as are rarely visited by man. 

 The physical character of the Aliaska Peninsula is eminently suitable to this bird, abounding in 

 abrupt ridges of mountains and high, small plains, just such grounds as are not resorted to by the 

 Willow Ptarmigan. 



The seasonal changes of plumage take place in April to the middle of May for the summer, and 

 in November for the winter plumage. 



The Eskimo name of this bird is ting au wtk, and refers to the guttural note produced on being 

 surprised. 



The winter plumage of this Ptarmigan is pure white with a black stripe at the base of the bill. 

 In many of these birds the black stripe in the winter plumage is wanting. 



The adult, male breeding-plumage of the specimen obtained from Unalashka, May 38, 1877, 

 presents the following pattern of coloration : 





