BLACK GROUSE. 85 



bill is dark horn colour, paler towards the tip. In 

 another female from Russia, now before us, the 

 entire length is twenty-two inches. 



THE BLACK GROUSE or BLACK COCK, TETRAO 

 TETRIX, Linn. Tetrao tetrix of authors. Tetras 

 birkhan, Temm. Lyrurus tetrix, Swain. Black 

 Grouse or Black Cock. Grey Hen of British 

 authors. This species is pretty generally spread over 

 Europe, being met with in France and Germany, 

 and even so far to the south as in Italy ;* and as we 

 reach the north, in Russia, Norway, Siberia, Scan- 

 dinavia, and in Lapland. In Britain it occurs in the 

 two countries, being most sparingly distributed, 

 however, in England ; the New Forest in Hamp- 

 shire, Somerset, Dartmoor and Exmoor in Devon- 

 shire ;f the wild parts of Staffordshire and Lanca- 

 shire, and so on until we reach the " border," where 

 it becomes abundant in the wild districts which con- 

 duct us to its still more frequent haunts in Scotland. 

 There it is abundant, and may be found in most of 

 the districts which are suited for it, extending north 

 to Sutherland, and to the islands of Mull and Skye. J 

 In Ireland, Mr. Thompson informs us, it long since 

 became extinct, though in Smith's history of Cork 

 (1749) it is mentioned as " frequent/' 



The favourite abodes of the Black Grouse are sub- 

 alpine sheep countries, where there is comparatively 

 little heath, where there are moist flats or meadows, 

 * Savi. f Yarrell. J MacgilHvray. 



