382 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



of the males — ^a habit not confined to this species; 

 and (second) that strange birds — such as the male 

 Blackcock and female Capercaillie, and vice versa — 

 are more likely to cohabit on their first meeting 

 than on their better acquaintance. 1 have it on 

 the authority of a well-informed gamekeeper that 

 on the first api3earance of the Capercaillie the Grey- 

 hen generally forsakes her mate, and encounters^ 

 between the males are not unfrequent. 



The hybrids vary considerably in size and 

 plumage ; and the iDlumage, in its j)rogress from 

 the immature to the adult state, undergoes the 

 transition common to both species. The larger 

 birds resemble the male Capercaillie ; and in both 

 instances the configuration and general colouring* 

 of the birds follow those of the male parent, the 

 resemblance being greatest Avhen the birds are 

 adorned with the perfect jDlumage. A marked 

 diiference, which is aj)t to lead to confusion, 

 exists in the form of the tails, the larger bird 

 having the rounded tail characteristic of the male 

 Capercaillie, and the smaller bird the forked tail 

 of the Blackcock. 



We are indebted to Messrs. M'CuUoch & Sons, 

 Sauchiehall Street, for the loan of the smaller bird, 

 which was recently shot on the banks of Loch 

 Lomond ; and to Mr. Henry Martin, West George 

 Street, for the larger bird, which was trapped a 

 few days ago in the Black Mount. 



The accompanying i)lates (IV. and Y.), which give 

 a very faithful representation of both the hybrid 

 birds as stuffed, have been executed by Mr. Duncan 

 Mackinlay, CM., one of the members of the Society. 



THE PINTAIL DUCK. 



D a fi la acuta. 



[Read -2onl Ffbrunry, ISSC] 



This bird, which I am enabled to show in the 

 flesh, has been kindly forwarded by Mr. George 



