WOOD GROUSE. 141 



appears externally. The tail is black and glossy ; but there 

 are some white irregular marks on the feathers about a third 

 from the end. The feathers of the legs are greyish-brown 

 tipped with white ; those of the tarsi greyish-brown, minutely 

 undulated with reddish-brown. 



Length to end of tail 34 inches ; extent of wings 52 ; wing 

 from flexure 16; tail lOf ; bill along the back 2, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 2 ; tarsus 3 ; first toe f , its claw 7i 

 twelfths; second toe If, its claw -^-^ -^ third toe 2^, its claw 

 10| twelfths; fourth toe 2, its claw ^^. 



Of another individual, the length 34 inches ; extent of wings 

 48; w4ng from flexure loj ; tail lOi ; bill along the back 

 2i, along the edge of lower mandible 2i ; tarsus 3 ; first toe f , 

 its claw ^2 '-> second toe 1^^, its clawy^ ; third toe 2j\, its 

 claw I ; fourth toe 2, its claw 8^ twelfths. 



Female. — The female is much smaller, and has the plumage 

 variegated with yellowish-red, brownish-black, and white. 



Remarks. — The native Wood Grouse has not been seen in 

 Scotland for at least half a century. Some attempts have since 

 been made to naturalize it by introducing individuals from Nor- 

 way ; but, in so far as I can learn, without success. Were it 

 to be propagated from the foreign race, it could no longer, how- 

 ever, be considered as an indigenous species. An account of 

 one of these attempts is given by Mr. James Wilson in the 

 Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal for July 1832. Ac- 

 cording to various authors, it is plentiful in many of the wooded 

 mountainous districts of the Continent, and especially in Nor- 

 way, whence were imported the individuals from which I ob- 

 tained the description given above. A very full and interesting 

 account of its habits is given in Lloyd's Northern Field Spoils, 

 from which the following particulars are extracted. 



" In the forest, the Capercailzie does not ahvays present an 

 easy mark ; for, dipping down from the pines nearly to the 

 ground, as is frequently the case, they are often almost out of 

 distance before one can properly take aim. Tow^ards the com- 

 mencement of, and during the continuance of the winter, they 



