Dr. E. Lonnberg on a remarkable Capercaillie. 319 



are not white as in the typical form ; only a few of them shew 

 some wbite mottlings, and the axillaries are rather dark 

 grey (not white). The back below the interscapular region 

 is less reddish brown and more coarsely vermiculated or 

 marked with irregular wavy black lines. Uropygium and 

 upper-tail-coverts similar, but (especially the latter) finely 

 vermiculated at their tips with hoary grey. The ground- 

 colour is brown, however, all over this dorsal region, and is 

 thus quite different from that of the same parts in a typical 

 Capercaillie. 



R-ectrices black, with fine rufous-brown mottlings, 

 especially on the middle feathers. The characteristic white 

 spots and mottlings which form an irregular marbled band 

 across the tail-feathers in the normal Capercaillie are quite 

 absent. The tips of the tail-feathei^s are likewise not 

 margined with white in this bird, although some of them 

 have a few hoary grey mottlings at the extreme edge. 



Flanks not white-spotted, but brown with fine mottlings of 

 black and posteriorly of hoary grey. Breast and belly black 

 or dark blackish brown with very fine reddish-brown and 

 hoary-grey mottling. Posteriorly the latter mottling domi- 

 nates the brown. 



Uncler-tail-coverts blackish with light mottlings, which at 

 the tips of some feathers become a little coarser and more 

 whitish. There are, however, neither there nor elsewhere on 

 the lower parts any white-spotted feathers, and the difference 

 from a typical Capercaillie is, therefore, very striking. 



Bill rather darker than in an old Capercaillie and some- 

 what lead-coloured above. In the younger of my specimens 

 the bill is somewhat blackish laterally. 



This aberrant Capercaillie appears at first sight to be 

 smaller than a male bird of the typical race. This is chiefly 

 due to the shortness of the tail-feathers. The dimensions of 

 my specimens are : — 



mm. mm. 



Wing 369 370 



Tail 240 245 



Breadth of tail-feathers 35-42 32-J3 



Tarsus 74 74 



Culmen JO 46 



