546 THE BLACK GROUSE OR BLACK COCK. 



cock weighing 15 lbs. In figure it resembles the black cock, 

 but the tail is rounded, not forked, like that species, and the 

 male has the feathers on the head elongated. The general colour 

 is brownish-black, minutely freckled with greyish-white and 

 light-brown ; the quills dark brown, the tail nearly black ; some 

 of the long tail coverts tipped with white ; the throat and breast 

 glossy dark green ; a small scarlet patch of naked skin above 

 the eye ; iris, brown ; the legs feathered to the toes. The 

 general colour of the female and young males is dark brown, 

 freckled with yellowish-brown ; front of the neck and breast, 

 yellowish-chestnut ; the feathers of the under parts edged 

 with white. Like the black cock, it is polygamous. The hen 

 makes her scant nest of dry grass usually under the branch of 

 a young spruce fir, and lays from eight to twelve eggs, 2| inches 

 by If, which resemble the turkey's ; yellowish-brown, spotted 

 with darker brown ; length of the male, 34 inches by 52 — the 

 female much less. It was once abundant in Scotland and 

 Ireland, but thought to be exterminated about the end of the 

 eighteenth century. But through the efforts of the Earl of Fife 

 and other Highland proprietors — particularly the Marquis of 

 Breadalbane, it has been restored to the Highland forests of 

 Scotland. Its chief resort is pine woods. It feeds on pine 

 shoots, berries, seeds, worms, insects, &c. It has a wide 

 geographical range on the pine-covered mountains — from Spain 

 and Italy to the North Cape of Europe, and abundant in the 

 north of Asia. During autumn and winter the males go in 

 packs (the hens keep apart, and do not join until spring). It is 

 easily domesticated, and breeds readily where there are young 

 pine woods — preferring Scotch fir to spruce. So when there 

 are young Scotch fir woods on Tentsmuir and heather, it may be 

 breeding there as well as the black cock and ptarmigan. 



The Black Grouse or Black Cock. 



Tetrao Tetrix. (Linn.) 



" The moorcock that craws on the brow o'Ben Connal, 

 He kens o' his bed in a sweet mossy hame. 

 The eagle that soars o'er the cliffs o' Clan Ronald, 

 Unaw'd and unhunted his eyrie can claim." — Hogg. 



This species abounds in the Highlands of Scotland and in 

 some of the Hebrides. The bases of hills in heathy districts 



