106 BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 



The plumage of the Grouse is extremely variable. The 

 cock exhibits three colour -phases — 'first, a red phase 

 without spots, found in the low grounds of Ireland, the 

 west of Scotland, and the Outer Hebrides ; second, a rare 

 black phase, in which the plumage presents an intermediate 

 character between the first and third types ; and, third, a 

 white-spotted form, occurring in the high grounds of the 

 north of Scotland. In the hen five phases occur — namely, 

 a red, a black, a white-spotted, a buff-spotted, and a buff- 

 barred ; the red and black phases being rare, the buff- spotted 

 the commonest, and the buff-barred type occurring in the 

 south of Ireland.' The hen is smaller than the cock, and 

 has the red crescent of bare skin above the eye reduced. 



These variations are confusing enough, but the matter 

 is still further complicated by the bewildering nature of the 

 seasonal moults and changes, which differ with the sex of 

 the birds. 'The male has no distinct spring plumage, 

 but has distinct autumn and winter plumages, and retains 

 the latter throughout the breeding season. The female 

 has a distinct spring plumage, which is complete by the 

 end of April or the beginning of May, also a distinct 

 autumn plumage, which is retained till the following spring. 

 To put it more concisely, both male and female have two 

 distinct moults during the year ; but in the male they occirr 

 in autumn and winter, and in the female in spring and 

 autumn, the former having no distinct spring and the 

 latter no distinct winter plumage."" A recent writer on 

 Game-birds gives a different version of the sequences, but the 

 above summary is the result of the very careful and extensive 

 labours of our greatest authority on the group, and is 

 confirmed by other observers, who agree ' that without 

 doubt the male breeds in his winter plumage."* 



Owing to the special interest and importance of the 

 species we have already overstepped the usual limits of a 



