350 TETRAONID^E. 



at the end, but white at the base, forming a conspicuous 

 white bar below the ends of the great wing-coverts, which, 

 with the lesser coverts, are black ; the feathers of the 

 spurious wing with white spots at the base ; tail of eighteen 

 black feathers, of which three, four, and sometimes five of 

 those on the outside are elongated, and curve outwards ; 

 the others nearly equal in length, and square at the end : 

 the chin, neck, breast, belly, and flanks, black ; under 

 wing-coverts, axillary plume, and under tail-coverts, pure 

 white ; vent, thighs, and legs, mixed black and white ; 

 toes and claws blackish brown. 



The whole length twenty-two inches. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the wing, ten inches and a half: the 

 form of the wing rounded ; the first quill-feather about as 

 long as the seventh, the second about as long as the sixth, 

 the fourth rather longer than the third or the fifth, and the 

 longest in the wing. 



The female of the Black Grouse, usually called the Grey 

 Hen, has the beak brown, irides hazel ; the general colour 

 of the plumage pale chestnut brown, barred and freckled 

 with black ; the dark bars and spots larger, and most con- 

 spicuous on the breast, back, wings, and upper tail-coverts; 

 the feathers of the breast edged with greyish white, par- 

 ticularly in old birds, and in those from northern latitudes ; 

 under tail-coverts nearly white ; feathers on the legs pale 

 yellow brown ; toes and claws brown. 



The whole length, seventeen to eighteen inches ; from the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, nine inches. 



Several instances have occurred in which the females of 

 this species have assumed, to a considerable extent, the 

 colouring of the plumage of the male, the intermixture of 

 some decidedly black feathers gives them a varied and 

 handsome appearance. 



