87 
A NEW SUBSPECIES OF WILLOW PTARMIGAN FROM THE 
ARCTIC ISLANDS OF AMERICA 
Lagopus lagopus leucopterus, subsp. nov. 
(The White-shafted Ptarmigan) 
By P. A. Taverner 
Type . Nat. Mus. of Canada, No. 24437, cf, changing from winter to 
spring plumage. May 28, 1928, Camp Kungovik, west coast Baffin island, 
latitude 65° 35' north. Collector, J. D. Soper. 
Subspecific Characters. Like Lagopus lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus), 
except the shafts of the primaries pure or nearly pure white instead of 
black. The first (outermost) primary shaft almost always immaculate, 
the second often more or less clouded; the remainder (innermost) have the 
colour entirely absent or greatly reduced. 
Range. The Arctic islands of North America from southern Banks 
island and the mainland adjacent to Dolphin and Union straits to South- 
ampton 1 and southern Baffin islands, indefinitely northward. 
These conclusions are based upon the collections in the National 
Museum of Canada, consisting of one hundred and forty pertinent specimens 
taken at various seasons of the year and in which the distinction holds 
with convincing consistency. A few mainland birds have more or less pale 
or washed out primary shafts, but in no case seen are the shafts pure white. 
Occasional island birds have lightly coloured primary shafts, but never 
approaching black. These few exceptions can be satisfactorily accounted 
for by intergradation and the migrational invasion of northern forms into 
southern territoiy. 
As it does not appear that the type form of northern Europe or Lagopus 
lagopus birulai Sserebrowsky described from islands north of Siberia 2 , have 
white primary shafts, it seems that it is the bird so characterized that 
requires naming. Therefore, the material under review divides as fol- 
lows: 
Lagopus lagopus leucopterus (the White-shafted Ptarmigan) 
12 Camp Kungovik, southwestern Baffin island (type locality) 
10 Dehaven point and Taylor island, southeast Victoria island 
5 Cape Kellet, eastern Banks island 
1 Melville island 
5 Point Cockburn and Bernard harbour, south side Dolphin and Union strait 
33 
'The writer is indebted to the courtesy of Mr. G. M. Sutton for the information that the willow ptarmigan of 
Southampton island has white primary shafts. 
*Jour. fur. Omith., LXXIV, 5-13 (1926). 
