44 



and by the black bars on the wings. The nest, composed of dry sea- 

 weed, grass or other material, is generally placed on the ledge of some 

 deep cavern. Two white eggs (see British Bird Egg Cabinet, drawer 17) 

 are laid at each sitting, and several broods are reared during the year. 

 From this species all the domestic varieties of Pigeon have been 

 derived (see Case 230). 



Case 221. 



RED GROUSE {Lagopus scoticus). 



The Red Grouse is peculiar to the British Islands. It is the insular 

 representative of the Willow Grouse {L. lagopus) of northern Europe, 

 Asia and America, but it does not assume a white plumage in winter. 

 It is generally distributed over the moors, especially in the north of 

 England and Scotland. Its food consists of berries and grain and the 

 tips of the ling and heather. Eight to ten eggs (as many as fifteen have 

 been found) are laid in a hollow among heather. They are whitish-buff, 

 heavily mottled and blotched with reddish-brown (see British Bird Egg 

 Cabinet, drawer 17). Incubation takes about twenty-four days, and 

 the young, when hatched, are carefully tended by both parents. 



BLACK GROUSE {Tetrao tetrix). 



This species was formerly much more common in England. It is now 

 comparatively scarce, except in the south-western districts. It 

 frequents young plantations of fir, larch and birch in the neighbourhood 

 of moorland. Its food consists mainly of berries, seeds and the buds of 

 trees and plants. The male, known as the Black-cock, is polygamous 

 and takes no share in the incubation of the eggs and care of the young. 

 The female or Grey-hen makes a slight nest in a concealed hollow, and 

 lays from six to ten eggs of a creamish-white colour, spotted with orange 

 brown (see British Bird Egg Cabinet, drawer 17). 



CURLEW {Numenius arquata). 



This species is a common resident throughout the year. Although 

 usually frequenting the coast, in spring the adult birds retire inland 

 to the moors and uplands for nesting purposes. The food as a conse- 

 quence varies, consisting of berries, worms, molluscs, etc., in summer 

 and crustaceans and other marine animals in winter. The nest is 

 usually situated among heather or grass, and consists of a slight hollow 

 in the ground, lined with bits of dry herbage. Four large pear-shaped 

 eggs are laid, varying in tint from olive green to brownish-bufT, spotted 

 and blotched with brown and purplish-grey (see British Bird Egg 

 Cabinet, drawer 21). 



