228 A HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
WILLOW#PTARMIGAN. 
Lagopus albus (Gmel.). 
Adult Male (Summer): Upper parts, neck, breast and 
sides of body rich chestnut, most uniform on throat and chest ; 
back, neck and breast-feathers mottled and vermiculated with 
black ; crown-feathers with black centres; rump, upper and 
under tail-coverts like the back ; tail-feathers nearly black, 
tipped with white ; wings, lower breast, centre of abdomen, and 
a small patch at bases of forks of lower mandible wzze; uill- 
shafts brownish towards tip; bill dark horn-colour; irides 
brown; above the se a scarlet comb. Length 15 inches; 
culmen 0°7 ; wing 8; tail 5 ; tarsus 1°5. 
Adult Female (Summer): Altogether paler than the 
male, and somewhat smaller. Upper parts blotched with 
black, and vermiculated with black and buff, or pale rufous ; 
head and neck more rufous; chest dull rufescent-buff, barred 
with black ; chin yellowish. 
Adults (Autumn): Have a large admixture of white 
feathers among the coloured ones and the central tail-feathers 
are white; no grey in the plumage either above or beneath. 
Adults in Winter: May be distinguished from the other 
Ptarmigans by their larger size and white lores. 
Distribution: Inhabits the northern portions of both 
Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Does not occur in Great 
Britain, the Faroes, or Iceland. 
Habitat: Lowland regions, where there is plenty of under- 
growth of birch or conifers. 
(renus BONASA. 
HAZEL-GROUSE. 
Bonasa betulina (Sco/.). 
Adult Male: Upper parts ashy-grey, tinged with rufous, 
and éarred or vermiculated with black ; crown feathers long ; 
lower back and rump clearer grey, and less marked with black ; 
wings brown, externally margined with fulvous; scapulars 
rufescent, varied with black and white spotted; faz/ grey, 
