34 



that any one could suppose, or presume to suppose, that the ex- 

 treme beauty of Cygnusferus could be added to by such a mixture. 



C. M. A. 



OX SUPPOSED HYBRID GROUSE. 

 (Reprinted from " The Field," 1864. 



I READ in Tlit Field, a few weeks ago, of the capture of a bird, 

 supposed to be a hybrid between the Black Grouse and Red 

 Grouse. I possess a bird which some persons have said is such 

 u hybrid, but it undoubtedly is no such tiling. It is a Black 

 Grouse (probably a female, having assumed, from some unknown 

 cause, some of the peculiarities of the male, or it may be a bird 

 which has always had a similar plumage) ; it is greyish -brown, 

 darker than ordinary grey hens, with blue reflections on the 

 neck, and having the tail curved outwards like the male, and 

 the under tail-coverts white. 1 have seen two or three similar 

 birds. Now if these birds were hybrids they were males, but 

 they want the large scarlet process above the eyes which is con- 

 spicuous in the male bird of each species ; and whilst all the 

 characters of the Black Grouse are present, those of the Red 

 Grouse are absent. Is the bird referred to similar to these ? 1 

 do not say it is impossible that such a hybrid might occur, after 

 seeing the singular varieties of Russian Black Game, which are 

 varied with white, and which seem to be hybrids between that 

 species and one of the Ptarmigans. The only object in question- 

 ing the accuracy of the fact of such a hybrid having occurred is 

 the desirability of not extending information which may not In- 

 correct. I have certainly never seen such a hybrid, nor heard 

 of an authentic instance of one amongst the thousands of Grouse 

 which one sees each season. C. M. A. (Xewcastle-upon-Tyne). 



