TETKAONHXE. 315 



with white shafts to the feathers, the secondaries 

 brownish black at the ends and white towards the 

 base ; the white showing beyond the greater wing- 

 coverts makes a conspicuous bar on the wing this 

 white bar is easily seen at a distance when the bird 

 is flying ; the tail is much forked, glossy black, the 

 longest of the feathers much curved outwards on 

 each side ; the belly and flanks are glossy black ; the 

 under wing and tail-coverts are white ; the legs are 

 feathered down to the junction of the toes; the toes 

 (not feathered as they are in the Eed Grouse and 

 the Ptarmigan) are of a blackish brown colour ; the 

 claws are shining black. As I have not a Grey Hen 

 in my collection I have taken the following descrip- 

 tion from Yarrell : " The beak is brown ; irides 

 hazel ; the general colour of the plumage pale ches- 

 nut-brown, barred and feathered with black; the 

 dark bars and spots larger and most conspicuous 

 on the breast, back, wings and upper tail-coverts ; 

 the feathers of the breast edged with greyish white, 

 particularly in old birds and in those from northern 

 latitudes ; under tail-coverts nearly white ; feathers 

 on the legs pale yellow-brown; toes and claws 

 brown." The young birds are at first much like 

 the females, but by the 1st of September (at which 

 time Heath Poult shooting commences in these parts 

 and in the New Forest) the young males have many 

 black feathers mixed with the brown ones, which 

 gives them a very curious mottled appearance. 



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