272 EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



of forest-growth, as far north as land extends, and in a similar 

 climate at high elevations further south. 



The nest is very slight, and consists of a little hollow, either 

 scratched out by the bird, or a ready-formed depression in the 

 soil, which is lined with a few twigs, a little withered grass, and 

 sometimes a few feathers that probably drop from the parent's 

 plumage. 



In this scanty nest the female deposits from eight to ten or 

 even twelve eggs, which are usually laid early in May, but some- 

 times not until the end of that month, if the season be backward. 

 They vary in ground-colour from dirty white to rich brownish- 

 buff, and are spotted, speckled, and blotched with rich chocolate- 

 brown. All the markings are on the surface, no grey underlying 

 ones being traceable ; the spots and blotches only vary in intensity 

 of colour, the largest being generally the darkest. They vary in 

 length from 1*8 to 1'65 inch, and in breadth from T26 to 1T5 

 inch. The eggs of the Ptarmigan may be generally distinguished 

 from those of the Eed Grouse by their much buffer ground-colour, 

 which is all the more conspicuous from the eggs being less pro- 

 fusely spotted. 



THE RED GROUSE. 



{Tetrao scoticus.)* 



Plate 59, Figs. 10, 12. 



The Red Grouse, or, as it is locally called, the Moor-fowl, 

 Brown Ptarmigan, or Gor-cock, is a resident bird, and is found 

 on all extensive moorlands throughout Great Britain and Ireland, 

 except in those counties of England which lie south or east of a 

 line drawn from Bristol to Hull. 



It can scarcely be said to make a nest ; it merely scratches a 

 slight hollow in the ground, and such materials, twigs of heather, 

 dry moss, or dry grass, leaves, etc., as happen to be on the spot, 

 are allowed to tumble in as lining. 



The eggs are not subject to much variation ; they are usually 

 175 inch in length and 1'32 inch in breadth, and of an almost 

 uniform oval shape, the smaller end being scarcely more pointed 

 than the larger one. The ground-colour of the egg is usually a 



* Lagopus scoticus — Saunders, Manual, p. 481. 



