428 RASORES. LAGOPUS. GROUS-PTARMIGAN. 



beyond the limits of these islands), is plentiful in the elevated 

 heathy parts of the northern counties of England, and very 

 abundant on those wild wastes that occupy so large a share 

 of the Highlands of Scotland. It is also scantily met with 

 in the mountainous districts of South Wales, and inhabits 

 the moors and bogs of Ireland. Tracts strictly heathy are 

 the situations peculiarly favourable to the nature of this bird; 

 for it neither affects the lower, more swampy, and grassy 

 places frequented by the Black Grous, nor does it resort to 

 the high stony regions that are the appropriate locality of 

 the Common Ptarmigan. 



It is monogamous, pairing every spring, and this at. a very 

 early period, usually during the month of January, but some- 

 times, in very mild seasons, even previous to that time. The 

 female begins to lay in March or April, placing her nest 

 Nest, &c. upon the ground in a tuft of heath. The nest (scarcely de- 

 serving that appellation) consists but of a few withered stems 

 of heath and grass, that line the shallow cavity wherein the 

 eggs are deposited. These are from eight to twelve in num- 

 ber, of a greyish-white, blotched with umber-brown. The 

 female only performs the office of incubation ; the male bird, 

 however, remaining in the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 nest, and joining the brood as soon as they are excluded ; 

 after which he is as assiduous in his attention to them as the 

 female parent. The whole continue united till the great law 

 of nature prompts them, on the return of spring, to separate 

 and pair. Where they are very numerous, Grous often 

 congregate in large packs during the latter part of autumn, 

 and through the winter ; and when thus associated become 

 very wild, not easily to be approached by the gun within 

 Food. killing distance. The food of this species consists of the 

 tender tops of the heaths, the fruit of the crowberry, trail- 

 ing arbutus, and cranberry ; and I have found them occa- 

 sionally upon the oat stubbles, where arable land has hap- 

 pened to approach the boundary of their heathy haunts. In 

 the Highlands of Scotland during the months of August and 

 September, the slaughter of the Red Grous is immense ; but 



