29 
patch of the male was bright vermilion red; that of the female was paler- 
more yellow. The iris was brownish, the bill blackish. The cocks had 
little in their crops; the hens in most cases were stuffed with the foliage 
of the crowberry. These birds averaged a pound in weight, the cocks 
rather more, the hens rather less. The toe-nails at the tip were clear, 
transparent, colourless; the toes were not provided with tiny plates to 
form ‘snow-shoes’ as in the case of winter grouse inland, but were covered 
only with soft, hair-like feathering.” 
Ptarmigan at Atka island seemed numerous all over the nearby hills. 
During the ten days’ stay here several parties climbed to the hilltops and 
always reported seeing these birds. 
9 Atka island, Aleutian islands. 
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April 4. White, a few broadly-barred feathers coining in on 
neck and head. 
4. White, practically no incoming summer plumage. 
4. White, back much variegated, with finely vermi- 
culated summer plumage. 
4. White, a few broadly-barred flecks on crown and 
nape, a few feathers in back and nearly all tail 
finely vermiculated. 
4. White, a few broadly-barred feathers on crown, 
nape, foreneck, and back. A few finely ver- 
miculated ones in back, vermiculated tail 
almost complete. 
4. White, practically no incoming summer plumage. 
4. White, a very few finely vermiculated feathers on 
shoulders and crown. 
4. White, a few finely vermiculated feathers back of 
neck, back, and tail. 
4. White, a very few flecks finely vermiculated on 
crown and shoulders. 
4. White, slightly flecked breast, neck, and back. 
4. White, very slightly flecked on back of neck and 
back. 
4. White, scarcely any incoming summer plumage 
4. White, no incoming plumage. 
4. White, considerable barred plumage on back of 
neck and in tail. 
4. White, a very few vermiculated feathers in nape 
and shoulders. 
These birds are very confusing. It at first appeared that the Rock Ptarmigan had distinct 
spring and autumn plumages. The spring plumage is characterized by being decidedly cross- 
barred, the autumn one by fine, even vermiculation or minute speckling, without much or any 
barring. The majority of these birds, however, are going from the white directly into an unbarred 
plumage, i.e. from winter into the autumn, instead of the spring, plumage. This occurs in no other 
specimen of this species that we have. Very few of these birds have enough summer plumage to 
compare satisfactorily with mainland forms in regard to general colour, but they are probably 
considerably lighter in colour and more evenly coloured on the back. Their most striking differ- 
ence, however, is size. They are all strikingly larger than any other rupestris they have been com- 
pared with. They can be accorded distinction from any interior mainland birds. When it comes 
to separating them from the next-mentioned birds from Adak island the course is not so clear; in 
fact, it is difficult to find points of difference. 
Lagopus rupestris chamberlaini Clark. Adak Ptarmigan 
Ptarmigan were even more numerous at Kuluk bay, Adak island, 
than on Atka island. On April 13 “ptarmigan were purring everywhere 
and were all noted in the grass at low levels. There was no time to ascer- 
tain whether they were also numerous on the dark, crowberry-covered 
hills above, but they were scattered over the fiats near the lagoon and the 
nearby lower grass-covered hills. In the distance was seen what, appar. 
ently, was a lively fight between two birds. There was only one round- 
Several times birds when routed whirled aloft 50 feet or so and then settled 
again slowly, purring loudly and perhaps threateningly, though what this 
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