162 TETRAO TETRIX. 



Remarks. — The peculiar form of the tail in this bird is by 

 no means sufficient to cause it to be separated from the other 

 Grouse, and to constitute a genus of itself, for in all other essen- 

 tial respects it agrees with the other species. The female has 

 the tail but slightly forked, and in colour and form greatly re- 

 sembles the female Brown Ptarmigan or Red Grouse. There 

 is reason to believe that these two species sometimes breed 

 together ; at least I have seen three s-pecimens which pre- 

 sented intermediate characters. One of these, a male, I had 

 the good fortune to inspect when entire and afterwards dissect. 

 It was obtained by Mr. Fenton, preserver of animals in 

 Edinburgh, on the 6th December 1836, and is now in the 

 possession of ISIr. W. Smellie Watson of that city. It was 

 much emaciated, but in perfect plumage. The following de- 

 scription I transcribe from my note-book. 



In form and proportion it is similar to a female Black 

 Grouse. The bill is of the same form as in that bird. The 

 supraocular membrane resembles that of the Red Grouse, hav- 

 ing a ihm free fringed margin^ which is not the case with that 

 of the Blackcock. The feathers are generally oblong, broadly 

 rounded, and have a large tufty plumule. The tail is com- 

 plete, slightly forked, as in the female Black Grouse, but of 

 only sixteen feathers, as in the Red Grouse. The quills are 

 twenty-six. The tarsi are feathered all round, without a bare 

 space behind. The toes are also feathered a third down, as are 

 the interdigital membranes, and the plumage of these parts is 

 as bushy as in the Red Grouse. They are margined with 

 psctiniform scales, as in the Black Grouse. The claws are 

 very long, arched, with thin parallel edges, like those of the 

 Red Grouse and Grey Ptarmigan. 



The bill is browTiish-black ; the supraocular membrane scar- 

 let ; the toes wood-brown ; the claws brownish-black. The 

 upper part of the head is minutely mottled with brownish- red, 

 broAvnish-black, and grey ; the hind-neck with a larger propor- 

 tion of grey. The rest of the neck is black, with a tinge of 

 reddish-purple. On the throat the feathers are margined with 

 white, on the sides of the neck obscurely barred with brownish- 

 red. On the lower parts generally the feathers are black,^ 



