114 MR. T. E. BUCKLEY ON THE [Jail. 17, 



yellow-speckled hens breed in this mixed grass and heather, while 

 the more ordinarily marked ones, such as No. 8, breed in the heather 

 alone ; but later on in the season, when the coveys begin to break up, 

 the birds no longer entirely inhabit the ground that suits their plumage 

 best. And here I may remark on a habit of the Red Grouse that I have 

 not seen noticed elsewhere, which is that as the season advances the 

 sexes separate, the cocks going singly or in twos, or at the most threes, 

 the hens in larger numbers, except a few pairs here and there, which 

 I believe to be barren birds. 



Every ornithologist who has tried it must have remarked how 

 difficult it is to get specimens of Ptarmigan in any of their three 

 distinct plumages, at least in the British Isles ; and I find, though in 

 a less degree, the same may be said of the Red Grouse, as in nearly 

 all of the specimens exhibited traces of their summer or autumn 

 plumage may be found, though most of them were obtained near the 

 end of the season. I do not pretend to call the one exhibited a perfect 

 series, as almost every Grouse varies more or less from its neighbour ; 

 and it would not be easy to get two birds resembling each other in 

 every feather, as may be done in most other species. 



Having made these prefatory remarks, I now proceed to describe 

 in detail some of the birds in the series now exhibited, nearly all of 

 which vpere obtained at or near Balnacoil in the valley of the Brora, 

 East Sutherland, and, whether cocks or hens, had completed their 

 full winter plumage as far as it can be. 



No. 1. Male, Nov. 7, 1879. — Head and neck reddish brown, the 

 back of each being marked by irregular bars of black relieved by 

 others of yellowish brown. Back deep reddish brown, closely 

 interlined by very small and irregular lines of black, these lines 

 being much coarser near the centre of the back. Wing-coverts, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts the same, but the black lines still 

 smaller ; primaries slightly edged with white. Breast deeper in colour 

 than the back, getting darker still towards the centre, the feathers 

 being marked throughout by fine black lines, a few white feathers 

 appearing between the legs. 



No. 2. Female, Nov. 7, 1879. — This bird (which with the one last 

 described made a barren pair) resembles No. I in most particulars : 

 the back has fewer black bars in it, but more dark spots ; and the 

 upper tail-coverts are more marked with black bars and spots. 

 The breast is decidedly lighter in colour, and has the dark bars 

 tnore regular ; a few of the under tail-coverts are tipped with 

 white. 



This pair are good examples of the typical form of Red Grouse, 

 one of the least common on the moor where they were procured. 



No. 3. Male, Oct. 31, 1879. — Head and back of neck dark brown, 

 relieved with lighter spots and black bars. Back reddish brown, 

 with small black bars, each feather having a black patch ; greater 

 wing-coverts the same, but with fewer black patches ; one or two of 

 the lesser whig-coverts have a tip of white ; upper tail-coverts dark 

 brown with black bars, a few of these tipped with white. Throat 

 deep chestnut-brown ; breast deep reddish brown with decided bars 



