VARIETIES OF GROUSE. 15 



re-introduced into Scotland after being completely extermi- 

 nated. It is, however, tolerably common in Sweden, but is 

 every year becoming more and more scarce there. The black 

 grouse (or black cock and grey hen, as the male and female 

 birds are called) is, on the contrary, common enough; but 

 the shooting of this variety is not to be compared with that 

 of the red grouse, which is the kind usually meant in speak- 

 ing of grouse or grouse shooting. Black grouse are met with 

 in the south of England, as well as in the north; and in 

 Scotland, and are also commonly found in Scandinavia, 

 and occasionally in Russia, Poland, Germany, France, and 

 Holland. On the other hand, red grouse are peculiar to the 

 British isles, being found in England, Ireland, and Wales, as 

 well as Scotland, which last has, however, given the distinc- 

 tive name " Scoticus" to this species. Lastly, the ptarmigan, 

 though occasionally met with in the Highlands of Scotland, 

 is chiefly confined to still colder climes, being common in 

 Sweden and Norway, from which many are annually sent to 

 the markets of this country. The following is a more de- 

 tailed description of each : 



The CAPERCAILLIE, WOOD GROUSE, or COCK OF THE WOOD 

 (Tetrao urogallus) is so much larger than the other Tetrao- 

 nidce, while at the same time it has enough of the family 

 character to identify it, that it is needless to occupy space in 

 minutely describing its generic characters. Since the year 

 1760, or thereabouts, this fine bird has been quite unknown 

 in Scotland, but after several failures in other hands, Lord 

 Breadalbane has now succeeded in rearing a stock, which it 

 is hoped may become completely naturalized in Scotland. 

 In 1838 and 1839 Thomas F. Buxton, Esq., collected forty- 

 four birds, two-thirds of which were hens, and presented 

 them to his lordship, who turned some out into the forest, 

 retaining the rest in a large aviary. Both sections bred well, 

 and the stock is now greatly increased, but disease within 

 the last few years has somewhat thinned their numbers again. 

 There seems, indeed, to be no difficulty in rearing the caper- 

 caillie in confinement; the Duchess of Athol and the late 

 Earl of Derby having each succeeded in effecting the object 

 to some extent. It also freely breeds with the black grouse, 

 the hybrid partaking of the characters of each. The male 



