THE HYBRID GROUSE. 593 



" III. Because hybrids between the Blackcock and the 

 Willow- Grouse are also found. 



" IY. Because the Hybrid Cock has never been found in 

 any districts except those in which both Capercaillie and 

 Blackgame occur, and there only where the cock Capercaillies 

 have been soshot down as .to be almost exterminated." % 



Nilsson further declaims against those naturalists, especially 

 Brehm, who seek to elevate Tetrao medius to specific rank, 

 and mentions the following interesting fact in the course of 

 his remarks : " There is also another important difficulty 

 which J must take into account: in Germany Capercaillie are 

 much more plentiful than Blackgame ; in Scandinavia, on the 

 contrary, the proportion is exactly reversed, for here one can, 

 on the whole, reckon that there are ten to twenty, or even 

 thirty, head of Blackgame to every Capercaillie." This, I 

 may add, is the case in most parts of Bohemia, especially in 

 those where Hybrid Cocks have hitherto been observed to be 

 most numerous, but in the Alps it is just the other way, and 

 how rare are the hybrids there ! 



On the ground which afforded the two Hybrid Cocks, another 

 was killed two years ago from a screen at the drumming- 

 place of the Blackcock, all the rest while drumming by 

 themselves in the wood; and now and then one of this year's 

 birds appears among the Blackgame, disturbing them very 

 much in their love-affairs. 



The two that were killed in the same neighbourhood in 

 1879 and 1880 are typical specimens of the true Hybrid Cock, 

 with the black beak, much feathered feet, violet sheen on the 

 breast, outer tail-feathers somewhat curved, &c. &c. Those 

 of the present year constitute two new forms, and immediately 

 after they were shot I jotted down the following notes. 



Specimen A. 



Beak large, yellowish grey. Neck dark blue, passing 

 into a violet sheen on the breast. Underparts dark, with a 



2Q 



