54 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 76 



on 1 June 1974 (Tuluksak River), one clutch hatched on 15 June 1974 

 (Platinum), and small downies were found on 18 June 1974 (Platinum) 

 and 12 July 1974 and 1976 O^uluksak River). 



Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). Upr. 



Rock ptarmigans occurred throughout the study area with the pos- 

 sible exception of the smaller offshore islands. We found ptarmigans at 

 the Salmon River, the Tuluksak River, the Kisaralik River, the Kwethluk 

 River, Platinum, and Cape Peirce. B. J. McCaffery (personal communica- 

 tion) found a female with eight young at the Kisaralik River on 20 June 

 1987. M. Brown et al. (unpublished) saw a bird at the Kisaralik River on 

 11 August 1985, and they found one at the Kwethluk River on 23 July 

 1985; R. Baxter (unpublished) and M. Brown et al. (17-29 June 1985; 

 unpublished) saw them at the Eek River in summer; M. J. Fry (unpub- 

 lished) saw them at Kagati Lake; White and Boyce (1978) found two males 

 at the Kanektok River in June 1977. 



In summer, birds were 350-600 m asl and in fall sometimes to 

 800-1,000 m asl. Ptarmigans used primarily subalpine shrub and dwarf 

 shrub mat habitats. Flocks were at Cape Peirce in spring (28 April-2 May 

 1976), and pairs and singles were found there, at Slug Mountain, and Cape 

 Newenham in summer (7 May-31 August). 



White-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus). VRsr. 



In 1 962 , M. J. Fry (unpublished) found a female with four small young 

 near Kagati Lake on 10 and 23 July. Single birds were seen at the Kwethluk 

 River on 1 5 July 1985 and the Eek River on 18 June 1985 (M. Brown et al., 

 unpublished). This ptarmigan has previously been reported as far west 

 as Lake Clark (Osgood 1904; Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959; Williamson 

 and Peyton 1962). Thus, the present record expands the western distri- 

 bution of the white-tailed ptarmigan. 



Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus). Rpr. Specimen: 

 RMS1988/037/01. 



Ruffed grouse were rare at the Tuluksak River and were reported at 

 the Salmon (C. Awe and J. Bloomquist, personal communication) and 

 Kisaralik rivers (B. McCaffery, personal communication). One bird was 

 said to have been shot during fall I96I on the Tuluksak (C. Clark, Jr., 

 personal communication), where we saw a female with seven young 

 (about 3 weeks old) on 1 July 1974 and three birds on 1 1 October 1977. 

 We also found a fox-killed chick at the Tuluksak River (DNW photo). Two 

 females with young were reported (C. Clark, Jr., personal communica- 

 tion) at the Tuluksak River on 26 July 1979. Birds were found mainly in 

 deciduous forests near old mining areas, usually on disturbed ground. 



