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. Kolthofl' has informed me in 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 tbe 

 towns for sale. 



Propagation in Norway. 



The first specimen preserved in any Norwegian collection was a 

 male in winter plumage, forwarded from Roros in 1837 to the late 

 Prof. Esmark. Until 1870, hardly more than half a 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 Christianssaud, 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 wliich 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 hi 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 Bodd, thus just within the 

 Arctic Circle (6.5° N. lat.). The most southern specimen was caught 

 in Sande, near the Christiania fjord (59° 3.5' 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 Tetraonidse 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 Tetrao tetrix 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. 



