; ok) “4 
150 THE CONDOR Vol. XXII 
Brown feathers of the fall plumage on the back of a male of the new form 
(no. 269376, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. coll.) compared with those in a bird 
from Moose Pass, British Columbia (no. 222656, U. S. Nat. Mus.) are noticeably 
less intense. But this apparent difference might not be borne out in a larger 
series. 
Comparisons of rainierensis with ptarmigan from Colorado, including a to- 
potype of Lagopus leucurus altipetens Osgood, show the Rainier form to differ in 
having the dark areas of summer plumage more blackish. At least one male 
specimen (no. 142372, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. coll.) taken on Bald Moun- 
tain, Colorado, has the fall browns much darker than in the only comparable 
male from Mount Rainier (no. 269376, U.S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. coll.). 
Similar comparisons with ptarmigan from Medicine Peak, Wyoming, and 
five miles south of Twining, New Mexico, show much the same differences as 
those previously cited, the dark areas in raimerensis being more blackish. In a 
Wyoming female in summer plumage (no. 230372, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. 
coll.) the buffy areas are of a darker shade than is typical of the Rainier se- 
ries; and two males from New Mexico (nos. 194588, 194,589, U. S. Nat. Mus., 
Biol. Surv. coll.) resemble the specimen taken on Bald Mountain, Colorado, in 
having the fall browns more intense than in the Rainier form. 
Examples of Lagopus leucurus leucurus from various points in British Co- 
lumbia, aside from those already mentioned, and from several localities in Alaska, 
demonstrate average differences similar to those cited, the dark areas of feathers 
in summer tending to be less blackish than in the Rainier subspecies and fall 
browns more intense. 
I have seen no skins of Lagopus leucurus peninsularis. Riley states (Can. 
Alp. Journal, 1912, p. 60): ‘‘The type L. l. peninsularis is a female with a few 
feathers of the fall plumage just appearing; it is very dark, but there is a speci- 
men (no. 156498, Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture collection) from 
Mount Rainier, Washington, still darker, and the latter probably represents a 
distinct form which for the present I am obliged to refer to Lagopus 1. leucurus.’’ 
Specimens in the U. S. National Museum collection taken by Dr. C. B. Ken- 
nerly at Camp Skagit and Similkameen (nos. 16000, 16002, 16003, 34076) are 
apparently closer to L. J. leucurus than to rainierensis, the only bird in summer 
plumage (no. 16003) having the dark areas paler than in the new form. The 
others are in fall plumage, of which, unfortunately, scant material is at hand. 
The browns in these fall birds from Camp Skagit and Similkameen are paler 
than in the female from Mount Rainier (no. 156505), but very similar to, or 
even slightly more intense than in the fall male (no. 269376, U. S. Nat. Mus., 
Biol. Surv. ecoll.). 
Examples in the collection of J. M. Edson from Austin Pass and Bald Moun- 
tain (nos. 170, 207, 208, 209, J. M. Edson, Bellingham, Wash.) are in fall plum- 
age. Two (nos. 207, 208) have been mounted and seem to be somewhat faded. 
One (no. 170) is passing into winter plumage. One (no. 209) is in nearly the 
same plumage stage as the fall male of rainierensis (no. 269376, U. S. Nat. Mus., 
Biol. Surv. coll.) ; in the blackness of some of the dark feathers this bird (no. — 
209) resembles rainierensis, but additional comparable material is necessary to 
determine with certainty the status of birds from the northern Cascades. 
Habits —Ptarmigan were found in a strip of timberline between altitudes of © 
6,000 and 7,500 feet all around the mountain. A nest discovered by J. W. Hun- 
gate at 6,100 feet on Pyramid Peak contained five eggs, one of which proved to 
s 
