CAPERCAILZIE. 83 



females we would attribute to their being confused 

 with the true Capercailzie hens, which vary so 

 much in size. The similarity of the specimens 

 we, however, consider now as the strongest fact 

 against the hybrid theory, and even if a differently 

 marked specimen should occur, and they can bear 

 no proportion whatever to the resembling ones, 

 we should consider it much more probable to be a 

 cross between the presently considered hybrid and 

 the Capercailzie. 



A fine male specimen of the Capercailzie will sit 

 fully two feet above the branch on which he is 

 perched ; and will be in total length from two 

 feet ten inches to three feet. The bill very power- 

 ful, is yellowish-white, darker towards the base ; 

 the whole head and neck is blackish-grey; the 

 feathers of a lanceolate form, darker in their 

 centres, and minutely freckled over with black ; 

 immediately below the chin they are elongated, 

 and can be raised at will, these are of a deep black, 

 and are edged with a glossy border of green and 

 purple; underneath each eye there is a white 

 patch ; the centre of the back and wings are rich 

 orange coloured brown, marked in wavy lines of 

 freckles of brownish-black ; the quills are reddish- 

 umber-brown ; the lower parts of the back and 

 rump, have a ground colour of grey or brownish- 

 grey, thickly marked with broad wavy lines of 

 black, giving the whole, at a little distance, an 

 appearance of blackish-grey ; the centre upper tail- 

 coverts are elongated, are nearly black, clouded 



