344 TETRAONID^. 



he soon began to tear and peck at the man so effectually, 

 that the latter was compelled to restore him to his liberty. 

 However, after a few months, he totally disappeared, hav- 

 ing probably fallen into the hands of a less timid bird- 

 catcher." 



Mr. Lloyd says, " The Capercali occasionally breed with 

 the Black Grouse, and the produce are in Sweden called 

 Racklehanen; these partake of the leading characters of 

 both species, but their size and colour greatly depend upon 

 whether they have been produced between the Capercali 

 cock and the Grey hen, or vice versa." Females of these 

 hybrids appear to be much more rare than males ; but 

 neither sex, according to Mr. Lloyd, are common : he had, 

 however, himself shot one, and his sporting friend, Mr. 

 Falk, had shot two. Among the quantities of Capercaillie 

 which are received every season in the London market, and 

 are said to come from Norway, the male birds of this 

 hybrid are occasionally to be found. Within the last ten 

 years I have certainly seen as many as seven specimens at 

 the shop of one poulterer, four of which were in beautiful 

 plumage, and were purchased by Mr. Leadbeater, Mr. 

 Gould, or others, to preserve for collections. This hybrid 

 appears to be well known in those countries which are in- 

 habited by the Black Grouse as well as the Capercaillie, 

 and has been named by various authors Tetrao medius, 

 Tetrao hybridus, and Urogallus hybridus : some consider- 

 ing the bird a distinct species, and others only a hybrid. 

 There is even reason to believe that it formerly existed in 

 Scotland, contemporary with the Capercaillie. Mr. G. T. 

 Fox, in his Synopsis of the Contents of the Newcastle 

 Museum, published in 1827, quotes the Tunstall MS. at 

 page 78, in the following words : " I know some old Scotch 

 gentlemen, who say they remember when young there were 



