f 



In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 169 



causes them to pitch upon the right spot, just as in a still more 

 extraordinary way the seed of some rare plant will often find out a 

 patch of soil suited to its growth, though it be severed by many an 

 intervening mile from the common habitat of its tribe. It is not 

 uncommon to see hybrids between this bird and the Pheasant, some 

 of them being handsome specimens. Mr. F. J. Strange, writing to 

 me on November 7th, 1881, from Fritham, mentions a peculiar 

 instance of this kind, saying, " There is in the village a bird, a cross 

 between (I should say) the Black Cock and a common fowl, a very 

 peculiar bird, and, if so, extraordinarily uncommon/' but he does 

 not mention the peculiar features of this specimen. Occasionally 

 the hen bird will assume, in a lesser degree, the curved tail of the 

 cock, just as is similarly observed in mule Pheasants, when the hen 

 will don, and that sometimes in a very perfect degree, the more 

 gorgeous colouring of the cock bird. 



Tetrao Scoticus. "The Red Grouse.^' We come now to a bird, the 

 Red Grouse, in whom every Briton should take a lively interest, in- 

 asmuch as he is a " Briton of the Britons," and has never been known 

 to wander from his native shores. It is a very noteworthy thing 

 that this bird is purely British, and is found nowhere else in the 

 world except within the range of our own islands. Truly he sets us 

 a good example of staying at home and minding our own business. 

 He practically reads us the same lesson as " Gaarge Ridler and his 

 Dog," as exemplified in the following verse of that old west-country 

 song, known well, doubtless, by all my readers, but which, however, 

 I will quote for the edification of anyone who may not have come 

 across it : — 



"Droo' all the world, owld Gaarge would bwoast, 

 Commend me to merry owld England mwoast. 

 While vools gwoes scamblin' vur and nigh 

 We bides at whoam, my dog and I." 



For, although " Tetrao Scoticus " favours Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, as well as England, and so extends his peregrinations rather 

 beyond our above-named friends, yet he shows a wholesome appre- 

 ciation of his native shores, beyond which he takes no interest. 

 This species has just occurred often enough in Wilts to include it 



