314 TETRAONIDE. 



neck, breast, belly, and flanks, black ; under 'wing-coverts, 

 axillary plume and under tail-coverts, pure wliitc ; vent, 

 thighs, and legs, mixed black and white ; toes and claws 

 blackish brown. 



The whole length twenty-two inches. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the wing, ten inches and a half: the form 

 of the wing rounded ; the first quill-feather about as long 

 as the seventh, the second about as long as the sixth, the 

 fourth rather longer than the third or the fifth, and the long- 

 est in the wing. 



The female of the Black Grouse, usually called the Grey 

 Hen, has the beak brown, irides hazel ; the general colour 

 of the plumage pale chestnut brown, barred and freckled 

 with black ; the dark bars and spots larger, and most con- 

 spicuous on the breast, back, wings, and upper tail-coverts ; 

 the feathers of the breast edged with greyish white, particu- 

 larly in old birds, and in those from northern latitudes ; 

 under tail-coverts nearly white ; feathers on the legs pale 

 yellow brown ; toes and claws brown. 



The whole length seventeen to eighteen inches ; from the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing nine inches. 



Several instances have occurred in which the females of 

 this species have assumed, to a considerable extent, the colour- 

 ing of the plumage of the male. 



