BLACK GROUSE. 353 



the young birds of both sexes resemble the female, but the 

 young males by the month of August, being then more 

 than half grown, begin to show some of the black feathers 

 which distinguish the sex, and which first appear in spots 

 and patches about the sides and breast. The change to the 

 complete dark plumage goes on in some instances so slowly, 

 that I once saw a young male of the season of 1839, which 

 retained a few brown feathers as late as the middle of the 

 month of February, 1840. 



I give the following illustrations of the habits of Grouse, 

 from the Zoologist, p. 4440 : " As Mr. S. W. Hurrel 

 was crossing the hill between Carr-bridge and the Spey, on 

 a fishing excursion, with some of his dogs following, one 

 of them pointed, when a Grey hen offered to do battle in 

 defence of her brood, and napping her wings like fanners, 

 she with heroic bravery actually beat her canine antagonist, 

 and drove him crest-fallen away. Mr. Bass, M.P., and 

 his friends, who have taken the shootings around Carr- 

 bridge, are in the habit of giving presents to the herd-boys 

 in the districts, in order to engage them to preserve the 

 nests, and, if possible, guard them against external violence. 

 One of the keepers lately accosted one of these herd-boys, 

 and, in answer to several queries on the subject of nests, was 

 told by the boy, that, in guarding the game from molesta- 

 tion, he had no difficulty except with one nest, which was 

 situated in a place much frequented by the cattle, and 

 which, he said, must have been destroyed unless by some 

 means protected. But, continued the boy, I have built a 

 little house of stones and turf about it, and that will pre- 

 vent the cattle getting at it. But, replied the keeper, you 

 will certainly scare away the bird. Oh, no, rejoined the 

 boy, I have left a little door for the hen to get in and out 

 at, and she sits on the eggs as usual ; which the keeper, on 

 visiting the place, found to be true." 



VOL. II. A A 



