336 TETRAONID^E. 



by which they assume, to a certain extent, the colours of 

 the male ; and M. Nilsson having figured in his illustrations 

 before mentioned, a female of the Wood-grouse in the 

 plumage of the male, which he calls truly a barren female, 

 I have inserted a figure of that bird on the next page. 



The Capercaillie appears to have an extensive geographical 

 range. North of the British Islands, M. Necker says it is 

 found in Jutland. Mr. Lloyd says it is found generally 

 over Scandinavia as far north as the pine forests extend, 

 which is almost as far as North Cape ; but is becoming rare 

 in the southern parts. It is found in Russia and Siberia ; 

 in Livonia, in Poland and Germany. M. Temminck says 

 it is found in Hungary, that it is rare in France, and is 

 never seen in Holland. M. Vieillot, a Continental autho- 

 rity, states that it is met with on the Alps, the Pyrennees, 

 in Auvergne, in Dauphigny, in the forests on the mountains 

 of Ardennes, in Upper Alsace, in Lorraine, in Italy, in 

 Greece, and in Tartary. M. Temminck also says that 

 it has been known as far south as some of the islands of the 

 Grecian Archipelago. 



The adult male has the beak of a whitish horn colour ; 

 the irides hazel ; over the eye a semilunar patch of naked 

 skin which is bright scarlet ; plumage of the head, the 

 neck in front and behind, the back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts, minutely freckled with greyish white on a brownish 

 black ground ; the feathers of the crown of the head and 

 on the throat rather elongated ; wing-coverts and wings 

 freckled with light bjown on a darker brown ground ; the 

 depth of the tint depending on the greater age of the bird ; 

 quill-feathers dark chestnut brown ; tail-feathers nearly 

 black, with a few greyish white spots ; some of the longer 

 and lateral upper tail-coverts tipped with white ; the chest 

 of a fine shining dark green ; breast black, with a few 



