VARIETIES OP GROUSE. 17 



flavour of those with most of the grey feathers remaining 

 being somewhat insipid. The food of the black-cock varies 

 with the season ; in summer he feeds upon the tops of the 

 heath, grass seeds, &c. ; in autumn berries of various kinds 

 will be found in his crop, together with corn and other seeds 

 in districts where this kind of food is plentiful ; lastly, in the 

 winter, the young shoots of the various pine trees afford 

 these birds the means of support in the absence of corn, 

 which is, however, sometimes supplied to them in the same 

 way as for pheasants. Black grouse breed both with the 

 capercaillie and the pheasant, and even between them and 

 the red grouse it has been asserted that in some rare in- 

 stances a hybrid has been produced, one of which is figured 

 in " The Moor and the Loch," by Mr. Colquhoun. There is 

 also no doubfc that a hybrid between the black grouse and 

 subalpine ptarmigan has been met with, one of them being 

 represented in Yarrell's " British Birds," at page 349, as a 

 part of the fauna of Scandinavia, on the authority of 

 M. Nileson. Black grouse are easily reared in confinement, 

 but require plenty of space. 



The RED GROUSE (Lagopus Scoticus) is peculiar to the 

 British isles ; in the higher and colder parts of which they 

 are to be found, inhabiting wild and extensive heaths and 

 moors. This species differs from the capercaillie and black 

 grouse in pairing, while they are polygamous. Red grouse 

 are found in coveys or packs throughout the winter ; in the 

 early part of which each of these is composed of the two old 

 birds and their young ones, called a covey; but towards the 

 latter part of the year several of these join together, some- 

 times to a number greatly exceeding that of one brood, and 

 then properly denominated a pack. The nest is formed of 

 hay and grass, arranged in a hollow of the ground, generally 

 under a tuft of heather. The eggs are from eight to fifteen 

 in number, the ground colour being reddish white, closely 

 covered with blotches of umber brown; length, one inch 

 and three-quarters ; breadth, one inch and a quarter. The 

 laying generally begins at the end of March, and is con- 

 cluded towards the latter part of April or beginning of 

 May. The young brood leave the nest as soon as hatched, 

 and both the cock and hen watch them closely, taking them 



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