THE HAZEL-HENS. 75 



Tctrastes bonasia, Keys, und Bias. Wirbelth. p. 200 (1840) ; 



Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 90 (1893). 

 Bonasa betulina^ Dresser, B. Europe, v. p. 193, pi. 486 (187 1). 



Adult Male. — General colour above greyish or rufous, barred 

 on the head and back with black ; feathers of the breast black, 

 margined with white, and sometimes with a white spot in the 

 middle ; chin and throat black. Total length, 14 inches ; wing, 

 6-5; tail, 4-9; tarsus, 1-3. 



Adult Female — Differs from the male in having the chin and 

 throat mostly white, and in being rather smaller. 



Range. — Europe and North and Central Asia ; extending in 

 the west to Scandinavia, in the east to Kamtschatka, Saghalien 

 and Yezo, Japan, and southwards to N. Spain, N. Italy, Tran- 

 sylvania, the Altai Mountains, and N. China. 



Habits. — This remarkably handsome Grouse, also known as 

 the "Hazel Grouse" or "Gelinotte" (Hjerpe, Sw. and Norw.), 

 is scarcely larger than the Common Partridge. It inhabits the 

 lower pine-forests, birch-woods, and hazel-copses, being every- 

 where a local bird and generally confined to the wilder 

 mountainous districts. As an article of food it is very highly 

 esteemed, its white flesh, even after it has been frozen, being 

 most delicious. Von Wright says that " the Finns entertain the 

 very singular notion that, at the creation, this bird was the 

 largest of the feathered tribe ; but that year by year it has de- 

 creased in size, and will continue to do so until at last it will 

 become so very diminutive as to be able to fly through the eye 

 of a needle ; and when that happens the world will come to an 

 end." 



Mr. Lloyd, in his " Game Birds and Wild Fowl of Sweden 

 and Norway," gives the following account : — " The flight of the 

 Hazel-Hen is very noisy, but short withal, seldom extending 

 beyond a couple of hundred yards. During both summer and 

 winter it is mostly on the ground, but, when flushed, invariably 

 takes refuge in a tree, rarely on its top, however, as some tell 



