APPENDIX. 245 



other species, but lighter, and settle on a distant part of the 

 mountain, or betake themselves to one of the neighbouring 

 summits. The eggs are similar to those of our other species, 

 but somewhat smaller, and generally with larger blotches. 

 As an article of food, this species is not so highly esteemed 

 as the other, its flesh having less of that peculiar flavour which 

 gives it its chief merit. 



After examining about sixty specimens belonging to this 

 genus, independently of several dozens of the present species, 

 I have thought that not only is our Bed Grouse peculiar to 

 Britain, but also our Grey Ptarmigan ; for, I think, the Con- 

 tinental bird that has been confounded with it differs as much 

 from it, as it differs from the Lagopus rupestris of America. 

 Should this opinion be correct, our bird might be named La- 

 gopus Scoticus. 



Ptarmigan. White Game. White Grouse. 



Tetrao lagopus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 274. Tetrao lagopus, 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. ii. 468. Lagopus cinereus, Grey Ptar- 

 migan, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, i. 187. 



APPENDIX. 



In the seventeenth number of Mr YarrePs History of Bri- 

 tish Birds, a work remarkable for the great beauty of its 

 engravings, as well as for more important merits, it is stated 

 that a specimen of the Purple Martin, Hirundo purpurea, of 

 America, was recently shot near Kingston, in the county of 

 Dublin, and is now preserved in the Museum of the Royal 

 Dublin Society. This statement is given on the authority of 

 Mr Frederick M'Coy of Dublin. Of course, Hirundo purpurea 

 is to be added to the list of British Birds, and comes very 

 opportunely, as it reduces our terrestrial species to an even 

 number. The following characters are those given by me in 

 Mr Audubon's Synopsis. 



160. HIRUNDO PURPUREA. PURPLE MARTIN. 



Bill rather stout ; wings as long as the tail, which is deeply 

 emarginate ; plumage silky, shining, purplish-black, with steel 

 blue reflections ; quills and tail-feathers brownish-black ; tarsi 

 and toes purplish-black. Female with the upper parts paler, 



