BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTS. 



154. RED GROUSE (Lagopus Scoticus.) 



Red Ptarmigan, Red Game, Moor Game, Muir-fowl, Moor- 

 bird. A beautiful bird indeed, and peculiar to the British 

 Islands. The Grouse moors, however, are mainly confined to 

 the northern counties of England and Scotland. In the district 

 in which this is written the Grouse may be truly said to abound, 

 and I hear them continually from my garden or open window/* 

 These birds do pair, and pair very early indeed moreover. I 

 have frequently seen them in pairs before the season for killing 

 them, which expires on December 10, is fully out. If the weather 

 becomes severe this union often seems to be annulled ; but I don't 

 think it is in reality. In the earlier spring, when the pairing is 

 becoming general, many fierce battles among the males may be 

 seen going on, and very resolute and lengthened and circuitous 

 flights of one in pursuit of another occur. The nest is very 

 slight, of ling and bents chiefly, and usually well concealed in a 

 tuft of heather. Erom six or seven up to twelve or fifteen eggs 

 are said to be laid, but I should sav that the highest average, 

 judging from the number of young birds in a brood, very rarely 

 much exceeds eight or nine. The eggs are very beautiful and 

 richly coloured, but vary exceedingly in both ground-colour and 

 markings, even those found in the same nest. Some are of a 

 yellowish shade, and others of a blood-stain red, mottled and 

 blotched with rich umber brown, and the paler ones with shades 

 of light-brown. Fig. 5, plate VI. 



155. PTARMIGAN (Lagopus vulgaru}. 



White Grouse, Rock Grouse, White Game Only found now 

 among the rocky tops of the highest hills and mountains in the 

 centre and north of Scotland. It is the smallest species of 

 Grouse in Britain, and its plumage varies greatly with the season, 

 becoming nearly pure white in winter. It lays seven to ten eggs, 

 frequently on the bare stones. They are of a yellowish ground- 

 colour, blotched and spotted (slightly so as compared with the 

 eggs of the Red Grouse) with rich dark brown. 



156. COMMON PARTRIDGE (Perdix cinerea). 

 Much too familiar a bird by appearance, voice and flavour to 

 require any very lengthened notice from us. The Partridge 

 pairs pretty early by the end of January, often and once paired 

 they never separate again throughout the season. At pairing 

 time the cocks fight fiercely, and I have sometimes seen, and 

 even in my garden here, three or four engaged in the conflict, 



* For a detailed series of observations on the habits, &c., of the Grouse 

 sec " Sketches in Natural History," Routledge & Co. 



