REMARKS ON HYBRIDISM. Il7 



As to the occurrence of females in whole or partial male 

 dress in Scotland, I know of the following : — One in the pos- 

 session of Lord Balfour of Burleigh, at Kennet, in Clack- 

 mannan, shot on the 2d November 1862, near Dunkeld, at Mr. 

 Hugh Bruce's residence. This specimen "shows its tertiaries 

 and scapulars tipped with white, and so far slightly resembles 

 the plumage of the adult female." ^ This was the first example 

 of the kind recorded in Scotland, but another has since been 

 obtained, also shot at Dunkeld, which is now in the Museum 

 of Science and Art. It was obtained at Dunkeld in 1866, 

 and purchased from Mr. Eobert Small, naturalist, Edinburgh, 

 for the Museum.^ Mr. J. H. Giunej jun., informs me that he 

 has in his possession a dwarf Capercaillie in nearly full plum- 

 age, bought in Leadenhall Market. This is probably of Scan- 

 dinavian origin, however. Mr. Gurney adds : — " There is a 

 similar dwarf in the British Museum, but larger than mine. 

 It may, for aught I know, be a female in male plumage. It 

 is labelled, ' Hybrid grouse, var.,' but I do not believe in its 

 being a hybrid." In our collection at Dunipace is a very 

 diminutive CapercaUlie in male plumage, shot at Dunira, and 

 given to me by Mr. J. Hamilton Buchanan, which I believe 

 to be a female in male plumage, but unfortunately the speci- 

 men is not sexed. 



1 Fide 'Proc. Ryl. Phyl. Soc.,' Edinr., vol. viii. 1862-63, pp. 25-27. 



2 Op. cit. 1865-66, p. 408. 



^ For full particulars regarding hybridism and varieties, etc. , see Collett, 

 ' Birds of Northern Norvjay,' quoted very fully by Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' 

 parts 20 and 21. In the Christiania Museum is a truly wonderful series of the 

 lovely varieties found in this species, which will always well repay the atten- 

 tion of visitors. I had the pleasure of examining these in 1871. For an 

 account of an unusual hybrid between black grouse and hazel grouse, see 

 Dresser in 'P. Z. S.,' 1876, p. 345. There are many other notices and 

 accounts of hybrids scattered up and down, and a general reference to ornitho- 

 logical works might suffice in this place. However, to those who feel curious 

 on the subject, I may recommend an examination of Carus and Engelmann's 

 ' Bibliotheca Historico-Naturalis' (vol. ii. pp. 1253-54), which will supply a 

 list of papers, British and Foreign, up to the date of 1861. 



