184 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



was so fully attained, that no one ignorant of the change 

 which had taken place would have had the least con- 

 ception of her sex. Every characteristic of the male 

 was put on ; the comb and wattles became prominent, 

 the long arched feathers of the tail, as well as the droop- 

 ing hackles of the scapularies, were completely developed ; 

 and, to crown the metamorphosis, she had a formidable 

 pair of spurs, an inch and a half long, and the scales 

 down the front of the tarsi were very large. In this 

 dress she lived until she was sixteen years old, when 

 she died of a decay of nature. 



Of the genus Tetrao I can include two species viz., 

 Tetrix and Scoticus. Black grouse (T. Tetrix) occur 

 in scattered pairs all over the heathy parts of the forest, 

 but in two localities (Tnkersal Forest and Coleorton 

 Corner) are rather plentiful. They are, of course, care- 

 fully preserved, and on the first-named spot as good a 

 bag has been occasionally made as on some of the 

 northern moors. Though fitted for inhabiting the 

 ground, the blackcock is by no means a bad percher, 

 and in several instances during spring time, when I 

 have disturbed them during my walks, I have seen them 

 fly off, making a circuitous route, and then settle .on a 

 bough of one of the old oaks, where they seemed quite 

 at home. I have the eggs taken from the forest. My 

 claim to include the Red Grouse (T. scoticus) in my 

 list rests on a single male bird which was shot at Bever- 

 cotes in November, 1860, a solitary straggler from its 

 northern home. 



In the cultivated parts of the district the Partridge 

 (Perdix cinerea) is most abundant, for it is closely and 

 carefully preserved. It is, however, by no means con- 

 fined to the arable lands, but is plentiful on the heathy 



