HYBRIDS BETWEEN THE CAPERCAILLIE AND PHEASANT 17 



ON HYBRIDS BETWEEN THE CAPERCAILLIE 

 AND THE PHEASANT. 



By WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



THE fourth known example of the remarkable hybrid result- 

 ing from a cross between the Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) 

 and the Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is worthy of more 

 than a mere record, not only on account of the extreme 

 rarity of such specimens, but chiefly because there is now 

 material for a contribution towards a knowledge of the 

 morphological variations and the peculiarities in coloration 

 presented by such hybrids. 



Only four such specimens are known, and all of these 

 have been obtained in Scotland. 



M. Suchetet, in his recently published (1897) work on 

 " Des Hybrides a 1'Etat Sauvage (Classe des Oiseaux)," only 

 records two examples, the specimens in the collections of 

 the Hon. Walter Rothschild and Sir Arthur Grant, over- 

 looking the first recorded bird in the collection of Mr. James 

 Lumsden. 



In the "Scottish Naturalist" (1891, p. 39) I described 

 the first known hybrid. Now, thanks to Mr. Harvie-Brown, 

 I have had the opportunity of examining and describing the 

 latest specimen, which Mr. Harvie-Brown is about to present 

 to the bird collections in the Museum of Science and Art, 

 Edinburgh. 



The bird under consideration was obtained in the middle 

 of September last at Stronchullin, Blairmore, S.E. Argyll- 

 shire, where it had been observed for eighteen months, and 

 was sent to Mr. Harvie-Brown by Mr. G. H. Black. 



This bird, a male, resembles a huge Pheasant, being 

 33 inches in length from the bill to the end of the tail, 

 which latter is not fully developed, as the bird is in deep 

 moult; the wing, 12.5 inches; culmen, 1.5 inches; depth 

 of bill, 0.7 inches. 



HEAD and UPPER NECK greenish black, slightly glossy, 

 with a dull buff central spot on each feather ; the eyes 

 surrounded by a large patch of scarlet. LOWER NECK 

 25 C 



