THE BLACK GROUSE 



59 



sombre dress. She differs greatly from the male in colour, 

 being mottled brown of various shades. These brown tints 

 are of great service in shielding her from enemies when 

 sitting on her eggs, by harmonising with the surrounding 

 colours of the heath and fern. Well does she know in which 

 direction safety lies, and, as is usual with all protectively 

 coloured birds, and even animals and insects, for the law is 

 universal, she remains quiet and motionless, brooding over 

 her treasures until almost trodden underfoot. The eggs, too, 

 are of protective tints, and consequently are never covered 

 when the sitting-bird leaves them — a fact, by the way, con- 

 trary to the expressed opinion of many writers on ornithology, 

 who evidently have had no experience with the Gray Hen's 

 domestic arrangements. The Black Grouse sometimes inter- 

 breeds with other game birds, but the offspring, as is usual in 

 such cases, appear never to be fertile. 



The Blackcock is an extremely wary bird, skulking low 

 amongst the vegetation of his haunts, only rising when ab- 

 solutely compelled to do so. His flight is swift — more so than 

 that of the Eed Grouse, but somewhat laboured, and upon 

 rising he usually utters his harsh alarm-note. When dis- 

 turbed the Black Grouse generally flies for a considerable 

 distance and often at a great height. I have known it fly 

 for half a mile or more at a time across a valley or along the 

 hillsides. Another peculiarity in this species is its partiality 

 for perching in trees. The Eed Grouse only perches in trees 

 very rarely, although it is extremely fond of resting on walls 

 and rocks ; but the Black Grouse may be seen in the trees 

 continually, and generally roosts in the branches of the pine 

 and fir, or even amongst the prickly foliage of the holly. 

 This love for the gloomy foliage of the evergreen is doubtless 

 prompted by protective motives ; for the brilliant blue-black 

 dress of the male is very inconspicuous in such a resting- 

 place. 



