LAGOPUS HTPEEBOEEUS.
SPITZIÌlilìGEN l’IAlülTGAN.
LAGOPUS lIYPEURORliUS. Journ. fur Oniitli. (1SC3), p. 371.
LAGOPUS ALPINUS—T.VH IIYPKRBOREA. Gaiiiiard, Voy. eu Scaiid., ISm., Livrais.
TETRAO LAGOPUS. J. C. Ross, in Parry’s Attempt to reaeli tlic North Pole, 1827, S. 193.
EISVOGEL MARTEUS. Spitz. Kciseb. S., 53.
LAGOPUS HEMILEUCURUS. Gonld, Proc, Zool. Soc., 1858, p. 354.
Tins bird, although closely iillicd to the species I have designated as Lagopns Rupcstris, yet on aocouiit of its groat size would seem to
bo entitled to a specific distinctness. I t was first obtained by Profe.ssor Suiulwall (who accompanied the expedition of Gaimard), a t BcUsuud,
about 77° 40' latitude, on the iirst of August in 1S3S. It was a male, and the only one obtained a t that time.
The next spceinicn, a female, was procni-cd by .Mi-. Eraiis, and described by Mr. Gould as Lagopus nuinilcncni-us, on account of the ba-sal
portion of tlic tail-foatlicrs being ivhitc. Tlio following note ivas furnished to the aboi-e ciniueiit ornithologist by Mr.’Evans, and comprises all
that is known regarding this example:
"The skin sent is the only one I have fi-om Spitzbergoii, although I shot mauy. The birds wore so plentiful tliat thinking I conid always
procure examples, I neglected to preserve any a t tho time, and was obliged to come away a t last with only this one.
"Tho hcn-bii-ds had all assumod thcli- sniiimcr plumage, but the males had not changed a feather, though the old ones, which had become very
ragged and dirty, would almost fall off on being touched. I started one hen from her nest, or rather from the little dry hollow ivhcro she
had oolloctod a few stems of grass, and fonnd two eggs; those were all wo met with; the nest was placed in the high fields, ivlicrc, in the dry
parts, scarcely any vegetation is to be seen, while tlie sivainpy portions, where tho snow had melted, wore covered with coarse grass and the
dwarf willow, whicli is the only thing approaching to a slirub on these barroii, treeless islands. Tho specimen sent was sliot on the 27tli of June,
on tlio south shore of Ja Sound, iu about 773° north latitude,
“ The neighboring coniiti-y consisted of a bolt of sn-anijiy gi-ouiid covered with rank grass, with high, rugged, and barren mountains rising
behind, covered n-itli snow, except on their sh.ii |i i-idgcs and steep sides; those monntaius, which are intors|icr3od with vast snow-clad plains, stretch
awny for miles inland, and rise with beautiful cones in tho liistaiice; hero ami there, in a fc«- sheltered spot«, a scanty supply of small floirers is
to be found, mostly belonging to tlic following families: Draba, Raiiimculus, Saxifraga, etc. The dark-gray rocks were covered witli lichens in
great variety, but of a gloomy ami soinbrc line, in strict keeping with the wildness of tho scene; here, too, the reiiidccr-inoss grow in groat
abundance. I may romai-k that the Ptannigau wci-o so tame, that wo could easily have knocked them <iown with a long stick—doubtless from
being so uimceustomod to tho iiiti-nsion of human visitors.”
I now give an extract from a letter n-i-itton by l’i-ofo«soi- Sundwall to Professor Baii-d, replying to some intorrog:itions made by the latter, at
my request, regarding tho specimens of this bird contained in tlie iii;
scum a t Stockholm :
s no doubt th a t thovo is only one. Tlic Lagopus IIemileucnru.s of Gould
r ill Gaimai-d’s Voyage (¡nibii.shed before 1847, or. as I rcmomber, in 1845).
cos arc half part white, but in om- specimens they arc scarcely oiic-third of
s Gould’s is a female, and oui-s arc all males. Uur museum contains three
“ * * * * As for the Spitzbei-gen species, I think there :
(1858) must be tlie same as niy laigopns (Ai;iinns var) llyporboro
'Tho only difference in the dcici-i|itioii is, th a t Gouid savs tlio rceti-i
their length wliite; n-liich difference may arise from ago or sex, a
specimens. The first, a male in suinmoi- plumage, shot 1st of August, 1838, at BcIIsuikI, about 77° 40' latitude, and [n-epaied by myself. I t was
tho only one seen during tho cxpodition, although wo remained ton clays a t Bellsuiul. Of this specimen there is an excellent figure in Gaimard'.«
Atlas, ciniwn and colored hci-c in Stockholm by one Wilhelm von Wright. The spcoiincn itself is in a bad .state, as the bird was moulting, and
it has only one of the roctriccs (the cxti-omo left), ivhicIi is 130 millimcti-os iu length, but broken; and it has lost nearly all the remains of the
white apical margin, 'riic base i.s only about 40 inillimcti-c.s ou tbo cxtoi-nal web, but blackish on the whole iiiiior. The scapus is 18 or 20
millimetres long, vvliitish. Length of wing, 220 millimetres. Tho total length is no»’, as the bii-d stands with curved neck, only about 370
millimetres. In tho figure, the length is 175 millimetres, but if the iicok wcus nioi-c sti-otchcd, as it would be wci-e tho dead bird k id on a
table, the total length wonld be ii -0 tlia: 400 inilliincti-es. Tarsus, 37 niilliiucti-es; middle toe, 25, and ivith claw, 41 milliiiicti-cs The wing is