226 MR. R. COLLETT ON HYBRID GROUSE. ._ [Apr. 20, 
with certainty in our land, but it must surely be found if more care- 
fully sought after” (‘ Vertebrata Fennica,’ p. 164, Helsingfors, 
1882). 
In Sweden several specimens have been captured, most of them 
in the northern counties (Helsingland, Jemtland, Norr- and Wester- 
botten), but a few as far south as Dalarne and Wermeland—as 
a rule amongst the mountain-ridges of the districts adjoining 
Norway. Dr. Kolthoff has informed me ia a letter, dated Upsala, 
7th March 1886, that, according to his knowledge, twelve specimens 
of this hybrid have been preserved in Sweden, of which the Upsala 
Museum possesses four (one male, three females). The Museum 
in Stockholm owns four, of which one is a female. Almost all 
were found, it may be said, accidentally, amongst the game which 
is forwarded during the winter from the northern counties to the 
towns for sale. 
Propagation in Norway. 
The first specimen preserved in any Norwegian collection was a 
male in winter plumage, forwarded from Rorés in 1837 to the late 
Prof. Esmark. Until 1870, hardly more than halfa dozen specimens 
were found or preserved in Norway, all of which were males obtained 
from the mountain districts in the southern part of the country 
(the provinces of Christianssand, Bergen, and Hamar); but during 
the years subsequent to 1870, 15 additional specimens have been 
obtained. 
Thus at least 22 specimens of this hybrid have been preserved in 
Norway during the last 50 years, among which only two were 
females. Almost all these have been obtained by the University at 
Christiania ; at present there are eleven specimens ‘mounted (amongst 
which are the two females), one skeleton, and two skins. A few 
specimens have been sent abroad, and two are preserved in the 
museum of Bergen. Of these 22 specimens I have personally 
examined 13 in the flesh, having myself found some in the game- 
dealers’ shops, while the others have during the last few years been 
presented to or bought for the museum. All the specimens were found 
in the southern districts of the country, with the exception of one, 
which was obtained in Saltdalen near Bodo, thus just within the 
Arctic Circle (65° N. lat.). The most southern specimen was caught 
in Sande, near the Christiania fjord (59° 35’ N. lat.). 
The greater number of the preserved specimens, both in Norway 
and Sweden, have been in their winter plumage. One reason for 
this is that the greatest capture of the Tetraonidze takes place during 
the winter months, for during the summer they are protected by 
the game-laws ; and another is that the hybrids previous to the 
assumption of their winter plumage so nearly resemble the young 
males and the hens of the Teérao tetriv that they are easily passed 
over unnoticed. In the winter, however, their plumage is so marked 
and peculiar, that this very seldom happens; but it is very probable 
that the greater number of individuals do not fall into the hands of 
naturalists, 
