34 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



There is without doubt a general broad resemblance, firstly between the 

 cock and the hen Grouse when the former is in its "winter plumage" and 

 the latter in its " autumn plumage " ; and, secondly, between the cock and the 

 hen Grouse when the former is in its "autumn plumage" and the latter 

 in its "spring plumage." 



The perplexing fact is that these general resemblances are not synchronous 

 Cock and * n ^ e two sexes, a peculiarity first observed by Mr Ogilvie-Grant, 

 atdiflferent f r > as already pointed out, there is an interval of two months 

 seasons. between the moult of the cock and hen. 



Again, it might reasonably be expected that, as the Ptarmigan and the 

 Scandinavian Willow Grouse have not two plumages in the year, but three, 

 some suggestion of the third plumage might be forthcoming in the Eed 

 Grouse. But the Red Grouse has only two moults. Mr Ogilvie-Grant, how- 

 ever, explains the position by saying that the buff and black plumage of 

 the hen Grouse answers to the spring plumage of the hen Ptarmigan, while 

 the buff and black plumage of the cock Grouse answers to the autumn plumage 

 of the cock Ptarmigan. The grounds for this opinion will be considered later 

 in the light of the possible effect which continued disease may have in 

 permanently altering the season of the moult. 



Beginning now with the cock Red Grouse in January, and taking its 

 appearance from the ventral aspect first, the uniformity of the series 

 Grouse in is a very conspicuous feature. Every healthy bird is chestnut or 

 rufous-chestnut and black, with fine, almost vermiculate black cross- 

 lines over it. 



Even in the blackest birds the throat and fore - neck are always of a 

 rich copper-red colour, with very little or no black edging at the borders 

 of the feathers, which are usually barred with black only on the actual chin. 

 Here there may be also more or less of white tippings, even to the formation 

 of two white moustachios leading downwards from the gape, sometimes an 

 inch in length. This may be a feature either of the black -type or of the 

 red 1 (PL n. and in.). In some very red and black Red Grouse the abdominal 

 feathers are also freely and broadly tipped with white ; and this may sometimes 

 be seen even on the feathers of the upper parts (PI. iv.) The legs and feet 

 are thickly feathered, and are white, or white with brownish barring. The 



1 The whole chapter deals with the Red Grouse (Lagopus scoticus Lath.). The terms "black 

 Red Grouse" and "buff-spotted or white-spotted Red Grouse" must not be confused with similar 

 terms for other species of Grouse. 



