TETRAONIDZE. 313 
likely to destroy the pure breed, and to substitute 
all sorts of white, pied and spotted varieties. 
Family 'TETRAONIDE. 
Of the Grouse* we can probably claim only one 
species for Somersetshire, out of the six that have 
now found a place in the British list. 
Buack Grovusg, Tetrao tetriz. The grand old 
* Black Cock” is still, and I hope will long continue, 
tolerably plentiful in such parts of the county as are 
suited to its habits. On the Quantock Hills it is 
tolerably numerous, and still more so on the wilder 
hills to the westward around Dunster, Dulverton 
and Dunkery Beacon, although to a certain extent 
it has been interfered with and its range partially 
curtailed by mining operations and enclosures. It 
likes the open heather and woods bordered by and 
interspersed with open spots of heather and whortle- 
berry plant, the tender shoots and fruit of which 
plant form a very favourite portion of the food of 
this bird; berries also, such as bilberries, cran- 
berries, juniper and hawthorn berries, some seeds, 
the tender shoots and leaves of heath and heather, 
and of some trees, such as the birch, beech, hazel, 
willow and poplar: t+ insects also may be added to 
« As to Sand Grouse, see Preface. 
+ Meyer’s ‘ British Birds,’ vol. iv., p. 78. 
2E 
