BED GBOTTSE. 201 



paler brown more tinged with grey; greater and lesser under 

 wing coverts, mostly white, but some of them brown, and 

 others barred. The tail has the four middle feathers barred 

 with black, and tipped with yellowish, the rest barred with 

 reddish, except towards the tips, which are yellowish grey; 

 upper tail coverts, barred with black, and tipped with yellowish. 



The young are at first covered with pale yellowish grey down ; 

 the head, chesnut, margined with darker brown, the lower 

 parts mottled with pale brown, and the upper with deep brown. 

 After a month's growth the bill is brownish black, the tip of 

 the upper one whitish; iris, hazel. Head, crown, neck on the 

 back, and nape, brownish black, each feather edged and barred 

 with yellowish red; the neck on the sides and in front, greyish 

 yellow. Throat, greyish yellow; breast, yellowish grey, barred 

 with brownish black ; back, brownish black, each feather edged 

 and barred with yellowish red. The primaries, secondaries, and 

 tertiaries have the outer webs greyish brown, irregularly edged 

 and barred with pale reddish yellow. Legs, yellowish grey; 

 claws, pale brown. 



When fully fledged they resemble the adult female. Head, 

 crown, neck on the back, and nape, pale yellowish red, 

 barred with blackish brown; chin, throat, and breast, paler. 

 Back, pale yellowish red, mottled and barred with brownish 

 black and pale yellow, most of the feathers having a small 

 whitish spot at the tip. Primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, 

 greyish brown barred with greyish yellow. Tail, greyish 

 brown barred with greyish yellow. 



After the moult, which takes place in the middle of winter, 

 the male has the head and neck on the back still much barred 

 and blotted, the breast chiefly brownish black tinged with 

 grey; the legs and toes grey. The female has most of the 

 feathers tipped with whitish, and is altogether of a paler 

 and more yellow colour than the male, and the tail more or 

 less barred. In summer, also, still paler than in winter. 



Red Grouse vary considerably in colour, those in Wales 

 and the western side of the island being lighter coloured, 

 and those on the eastern side darker ; the former also are 

 said to be the largest: scarcely two can be found exactly 

 alike. Some have the breast nearly black, some with a good 

 deal of white; some have the back with much black different 

 localities furnish birds of different 'shades of character.' In 

 one, a cream-coloured or light yellowish brown variety, the 

 usual markings were preserved; the quills and greater wing 



