28 Allen's naturalist's library. 



black form, and a white-spotted form. The first of these, in 

 which the general colour is rufous-chestnut (PI. 11., Fig. 8) with- 

 out any white spots on the breast, is mostly to be found on the 

 low grounds of Ireland, the west coast of Scotland, and the 

 Outer Hebrides. Typical examples of the second, or black 

 form (PI. II., Fig. lo) are rarely met with, and are usually found 

 mixed with either the red or white-spotted forms, but most 

 often with both, and specimens in mixed plumage are those 

 most commonly met with. The third, or white-spotted form, 

 has the feathers of the breast and belly, and sometimes those 

 of the head and upper-parts, tipped with white. The most 

 typical examples of this variety are found, as a rale, on the 

 high grounds of the north of ^Scotland. 



In \k\.Q female, no less than^fz'*? distinct types are recognisable, 

 the red, the black, the white-spotted, the biiff-spotted, and the 

 buff-barred, forms. The first two are the rarest, the latter being 

 extremely uncommon (PL III., Figs. 5 and 13). The white- 

 spotted form occurs as in the male; the buff-spotted form, 

 which is much the commonest and most usually met with, has 

 the feathers of the upper-parts spotted at the tip with whitish- 

 buff (PI. III., Figs. 2 and 3); the fifth, or buff-barred form 

 (PI. III., Fig. 4), is met with in the south of Ireland, and re- 

 sembles in winter (autumn plumage) the ordinary female in 

 breeding plumage, having the upper-parts coarsely barred with 

 buff and black. Very little is known of this last variety, owing 

 to the difficulty in obtaining birds, except during the shooting- 

 season. 



The great peculiarity of the Red Grouse, and one without 

 parallel among birds even of the genus, lies in the fact that the 

 changes of plumage in the male and female occur at different 

 seasons. 



The male has no distinct summer plumage, but has distinct 

 autumn and winter plumages, and retains the latter through- 

 out the breeding-season. 



The female has a distinct summer plumage, which is com- 



