Birds. 9045 
see that paper, but have recently read his very interesting work on Lapland. The 
conclusions, however, of Mr. Wheelwright I cannot by any means agree to. It is 
unnecessary here to repeat the reasons I before gave, in the ‘ Zovologist’ (Zool. 8868), 
when discussing the subject of identity of the two birds; but there are points of 
distinction in their habits, quoted by Mr. Reeks, which require a few remarks. 
Mr. Reeks asks whether any one has seen the red grouse perch on a tree: I never 
did, nor was I aware that the willow grouse perched; indeed I never saw the bird in 
the neighbourhood of trees. If the bird really does perch in trees, the fact goes 
strongly against my views. The nesting of the willow grouse in the forest I know 
nothing of: as I have stated, I never saw the bird in anything that could be called a 
forest, but only on the elevated fjelds, with occasional thickets of willow, birch and 
juniper, which correspond with our upland moors. Mr. Reeks then asks “ whether 
any one has ever known the red grouse frequent, even accidentally, small birch, willow 
or fir forests, lying remote from moors?” In reply to this, I have repeatedly, on the 
Yorkshire Moors, both sprung and shot this bird from low thickets of birch, willow 
and bracken, lying on the low sheltered parts of the moor, where such vegetation 
frequently occurs, especially where a stream runs. I may,here mention, with regard 
to the partiality of the willow grouse to forests, if such really be a fact, that on our 
moors, the ling and heather is much more frequent, taller and more robust, than on 
the Norwegian fjelds, and that, for lack of this necessary cover, the willow grouse may 
select coppices and forests of birch and willow. Ihave spent days together in forests 
of fir, birch and pine, but I certainly never came across willow grouse in such situa- 
tions. Mr. Wheelwright certainly errs in saying that the willow grouse is never seen 
on the open moors and fields, for I have seen them in such situations on the Doure, 
quite as frequently as amongst the thickets of willow and juniper. Then, again, 
the red grouse may be partial to dry situations, but it by no means avoids wet and 
swampy places, a fact that most shooters are aware of; indeed it is a notorious fact, 
that during the heat of the day such places are far more likely to yield a bag than the 
drier parts of the moor. Touching the matter of the eggs, as a means of clearing up 
this dispute, I must acknowledge I am but little versed in the subject, and merely 
throw out the hint for those learned in this department, for them to make use of or not, 
and have now, I think, said all I know of the matter, and must leave the question to 
those far more competent than myself for settlement.— George Norman ; Hull, March 1, 
1864. 
The Red Grouse qnd Willow Grouse.—In the editorial note (Zool. 8955) appended 
to the communication of Mr. Reeks upon the grouse question, it seems to me that 
scarcely sufficient value is accorded to the observations of Mr. Wheelwright; for, 
although there may be nothing in them that is likely to settle the question, yet the 
comparative difference of the habits of two closely allied species may be of some value; 
certainly, according to my experience, of more value than a comparison of their eges, 
so much contended for by the Rev. A. C. Smith,—that is, if we are to judge by the 
eggs of other closely allied species. I may mention a case that came under my own 
observation: about twenty-five years since, while exploring the upper marshes of the 
Solway, my attention was attracted to a large colony of terns hovering over a par- 
ticular portion of the marsh, at some distance ; on reaching the place, I found it to be 
their breeding-ground, and upon examination I found a great many nests, or, I 
should more properly say, a great many deposits of eggs, for they make no nest, merely 
selecting a depression in the turf: upon examining these eggs, I found them to differ, 
