348 TETRAONID^E. 



The last of thirteen examples of hybrids between the 

 Pheasant and Black Grouse, here recorded, was killed in 

 Northumberland, for a knowledge of which I am indebted 

 to the kindness of Mr. Selby, of Twizell House, This 

 bird was shot early in December 1839, by Lord Howick, in 

 a large wood belonging to Earl Grey, a few miles to the 

 east of Felton, and, having been sent to Twizell, I was not 

 only immediately made acquainted with the occurrence, 

 but Mr. Selby has since supplied me with a coloured draw- 

 ing of the bird, from which the representation at page 

 347 was executed. 



Hybrids between the Black and the Red Grouse have 

 been suspected, and in many parts of this country both spe- 

 cies inhabit the same ground ; but such a union is less 

 likely to happen with species that pair in their season, as 

 do the Red Grouse, than with those which, like the Phea- 

 sant, the Capercaillie, and the Black Grouse, do not pair. 

 Mr. Macgillivray, in the first volume of his History of 

 British Birds, Indigenous and Migratory, page 162, has, 

 however, mentioned three, describing in detail one bird 

 supposed to have been thus produced. This bird is, 

 I believe, in the collection at the Edinburgh Museum. 



In Sweden there are two species of Ptarmigan ; one of 

 them identical with the Ptarmigan of this country, inhabits 

 the mountains, and is called by M. Nilsson, in consequence, 

 alpina : the other, a larger bird, which inhabits the plains 

 and valleys, is called by M. Nilsson subalpina. With this 

 latter species hybrids have been produced with the Black 

 Grouse, but these seem to be exceedingly rare. M. Nilsson 

 appears to have seen five examples, one of which being 

 figured in his coloured illustrations of the Fauna of Scan- 

 dinavia, I am enabled to insert a representation of this 

 prettily-marked bird. In a letter lately received from T. 



