342 



KORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



noted the contents as follows : Male, April 14, buds of Populus hal- 

 samifera^ Salix^ and Lepargyroia canadensis^ and leaves of Pyrola; 

 male, April 21, buds of Salix and Lepargyrma^ and young shoots of 

 Equisetum; male, April 28, catkins of Salix; male. May 16, young- 

 leaves of Populus tremuloides. AMiile descending the Mackenzie I 

 saw one near Koche Trempe-l'eau June 8. This point is near the 

 northern limit of the bird's range on the Mackenzie. 



This form was first described by Douglas, who stated that it in- 

 habited the Rocky Mountains in latitude 54° north, and near the 

 sources of Peace River.^ Ross listed the species as common in the 

 Mackenzie River region as far north as La Pierre House, and as hav- 

 ing been collected at Fort Simpson.^ The bird catalogue of the 

 National Museum records skins from Fort Resolution, Fort Rae, 

 Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, and Big Island, specimens from the last 

 three localities being still in the collection. 



While collecting in Alberta in 1894, J. Alden Loring reported the 

 species common at Edmonton September 7 to 26, taking one speci- 

 men. In 1896, he took a male at Henry House October 12, and a 

 female at Jasper House October 22. Macoun states that Spread- 

 borough reported the species common between Edmonton and Jasper 

 House in 1898.^ 



Lagopus lagopus (Linn.). Willow Ptarmigan. 



This species occurs throughout the region, breeding mainly in the 

 Barren Grounds, and to some extent southward along the mountains, 

 and in winter migrating more or less regularly to the Saskatchewan 

 region. 



In 1903, the willow ptarmigan was first noted at Fort Resolution 

 June 28, when an Indian brought me a female which he had shot 

 near the post. It was, of course, merely a straggler and was the only 

 one the native had ever seen at this season. Its crop contained 

 young leaves of Populus halsamifera. My Indian canoeman re- 

 ported seeing ptarmigan in the mountains south of MacTavish Bay, 

 Great Bear Lake, on August 25 and 26. At our camp on the shore 

 of Great Bear Lake east of Leith Point the species was first seen 

 August 29, several broods of nearly grown birds being observed. 

 Three old males, two of which were secured, were seen August 31. 

 The crop of one contained leaves of dwarf willow {Salix reticulata^ ^ 

 wild rosemary {Andromeda polifolia)^ and a small vetch (Aragal- 

 lus), catkins of dwarf birch {Betula nana), and berries of blueberry 



Trans. Linn. Soc. London, XYI, p. 148, 1829. 



^Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 283, 1862. If this record for La Pierre 

 House is well founded, tlie bird must reacli tliere from the Yukon or along the 

 mountains, since it is certainly absent from the lower Mackenzie. 



c Cat. Canadian Birds, Part I, p. 203, 1900. 



