ii4 MOUNTAIN AND MOORLAND 



The Red Grouse (Lagopus scoticus) is confined to 

 the British Islands and to places where it has been 

 introduced in recent years. It is a native of this 

 country, and of no other; which means that its kind 

 arose in these islands from an ancestral stock common 

 to it and to the Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) and the 

 Willow Grouse (Lagopus albus). We may see the 

 same sort of thing happening on a small scale to-day 

 in the origin, for instance, of a distinct race of Wren 

 in the islet of St. Kilda and of another in the Shet- 

 lands. A new departure or variation crops up, and if 

 its peculiarities are of such a nature (i) that they are 

 readily handed on or entailed in heredity, and (2) that 

 they are well suited to the conditions of life, then a 

 new race may begin. 



The Red Grouse is well represented in some upland 

 heaths of the North of England, on many Welsh 

 moors, and throughout a large part of Ireland; but it 

 flourishes best in Scotland. It is a good example of a 

 thoroughly resident bird, keeping consistently to its 

 own place, except that it comes to lower ground in 

 severe wintry weather, or even leaves the district if 

 things are quite hopeless. The food consists very 

 largely of the tips of the twigs of Ling and Heath, 

 Crowberry and Blaeberry, besides, in autumn, the 

 seeds of Sedges and Grasses, and such small berries 

 as may be available. It seems that the young birds 

 require more digestible food namely, small insects, 

 which the parents help them to find. According to 

 Mr. Abel Chapman, Red Grouse burrow beneath the 

 snow in winter and thus get at supplies of growing 

 mountain plants. 

 The cock bird is predominantly ruddy, while the hen 



