378 TETRAONIIXE. 



In London the usual price for these birds, when in good 

 condition, is, for 



s. d. 



A Capercaillie male . . . . 10 



female ... 70 



A Black Grouse, male or female . 3 6 



A Ptarmigan 20 



Of the various species of Grouse, as articles of food, the 

 flesh of the Red Grouse has perhaps the most admirers. 

 The Black Grouse is remarkable for the dark colour of the 

 outer muscle of the breast, as contrasted with the very 

 white colour of the inner muscle, and all the Grouse are 

 considered to possess fine qualities for the table by those 

 who are partial to high game flavour. 



The Ptarmigan of the mountain ridges of Norway and 

 Sweden, called the Fyall-ripa, the species named alpina by 

 M. Nilsson, is considered to be identical with our Scottish 

 Ptarmigan. Mr. Lloyd says, " The predominant colours 

 of the Fyall-ripa in the summer season are speckled black, 

 brown, or grey ; there is, however, a very great dis- 

 similarity in the dress of the male and female ; the former 

 being of a much darker colour than the latter." This 

 agrees with the descriptions of our Ptarmigan, as given by 

 those authors who have had the best opportunities of 

 obtaining specimens of these birds at different seasons of 

 the year. 



The male in winter has the beak, the lore, and a small 

 angular patch behind the eye, black ; the irides yellowish 

 brown ; over the eye a naked red skin ; almost all the 

 plumage pure white ; shafts of the primary quill-feathers 

 black ; the four upper tail-feathers white ; the fourteen 

 other tail-feathers black, tipped with white ; legs and toes 

 white, the claws black. The male in May and November 

 has the beak, the lore, and the space behind the eye, black ; 



