THE BLACK GROUSE. 45 



being found at a lower altitude than 8,000 to 9,000 feet at any 

 time." In the Rocky Mountain region it is generally known 

 by the very appropriate name of the " White " or " Snow " 

 Quail. Grinnell writes : " On the high plateaux where this 

 bird is found, the wind often blows with a tremendous sweep 

 and is almost strong enough to throw down a man. When 

 such a wind is blowing, the Ptarmigan dig out for themselves 

 little nests or hollows in the snow-banks, in which they lie with 

 their heads toward the wind and quite protected from it." In 

 general habits this species is very similar to the Common 

 Ptarmigan, but apparently it is mostly found in small parties 

 of about a dozen, and even in late autumn is rarely met with 

 in packs. 



Eggs. — Creamy-buff to pale reddish or salmon-buff; the 

 markings, generally small and well-defined, varying in colour 

 from reddish-brown to chocolate-brown. " They resemble far 

 more the eggs of De^idragapus than Lagopus " {Beiidire). 

 Average measurements, 175 by 1*2 inches. 



THE BLACK GROUSE. GENUS LYRURUS. 



Lyrurus, Swains. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 497 (1831). 



Type, Z. tetrix (Linn.). 



Characterised by having the feet feathered, but, unlike 



Lagopus^ the toes are naked and pectinate on the sides. The 



tail is composed of eighteen feathers, and in the male the 



outer pairs, which are much the longest, are curved outwards 



at the extremity. 



Only two species are known. 



I. THE BLACK GROUSE. LYRURUS TETRIX. 



Tetrao tetrix, Linn. S. N. i. p. 274 (1766); Millais, Game- 

 Birds, pp. 21-42, pis. and woodcuts (1892). 



Lyrurus tetrix, Swains, and Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. 

 p. 497 (1831); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 

 55 (1893). 



