1 88 



cassell's book of birds. 



stripe, and edged with the same shade ; the slightly-incised tail is black, occasionally with white tips to 

 its feathers. The under side is black, the head and fore part of the neck gleam with a purple light, the 

 sides of the body are powdered with grey and spotted with white ; the plumage of the legs is white, 

 and the tarsus blackish grey ; the eye is dark brown ; and the beak greyish black. The female 

 sometimes resembles that of the Capercali, sometimes the Grey Hen ; but it is smaller than cither. 

 The length of the male is from twenty-five to twenty-eight inches ; that of his mate twenty-one to 

 twenty-tvvo inches. 



-1 ^:F:^.->S 



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HYBRID GROUSE (Telrao meiias). 



The Hybrid Grouse are found wherever the Black Cock and Capercali inhabit the same district, 

 and are particularly numerous in Scandinavia. They closely resemble their parents in general habits, 

 although towards the former of these species they frequently exhibit a very pugnacious spirit during 

 the period of incubation, and constantly do great damage to the sportsmen by attacking and disturbing 

 the Grey Hen when brooding. 



"The Capercali," says Mr. Lloyd, "occasionally breed wth the Black Grouse, and the produce 

 are in Sweden called Racklehanen. These partake of the leading characters of both species, but 

 their size and colour greatly depend upon whether they have been produced between the Capercali 



