128 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



which are short, are covered with hair-like feathers in 

 fiont, and the toes are dark horn-colour. The length of 

 the male black grouse is 1 foot Hi inches. 



The female is smaller than the male, is of a general 

 greyish brown colour, most of her feathers having a lighter 

 border than base. The red maik over her eye is much 

 duller than the same feature in the male, and she also has 

 a similar white spot on the shoulder. The length of the 

 female is about 1 foot GA inches. 



The food of the black crvouse consists of berries, the 

 tender shoots of plants, grain, and insects, and the young 

 are fed entirely on the latter at the beginning of their 

 existence ; they run about almost as soon as hatched. 



The nest is merely a shallow hole scratched, or a natural 

 depression, in the ground, slightly lined with bits of the 

 surrounding herbage ; and the eggs, which are six or eight 

 in number, are buff coloured, irregularly spotted with 

 brownish red. It is usually' situated at no great distance 

 from water, of which these birds drink a good deal. In- 

 cubation, which lasts about twenty-four days, is begun 

 about the middle of May. 



The black grouse seems to have lost a good deal of the 

 natural instinct that keeps wild birds from forming a 

 Du'salliaiice with others of an analogous kind, and hybrids 

 between it and the pheasant, red grouse, eapercaillie, 

 ptarmigan, and even the domestic fowl, have been met 

 with, both sexes erring equally in this respect. It is not a 

 pleasing feature in their character, and shows that they 

 have fallen very considerably away from Nature's standard 

 under the domination of man. 



These birds, however, are not easily kept in confinement, 

 but have borne transportation to the south and west of 

 England very well. 



They are polygamous, and, except during the actual pair- 



