224 



coverts black, vermiculated with greyish white, the latter tipped with white ; tail rounded, black, some 

 of the feathers marked with white in the centre ; quills dull brown, marbled with light sandy brown on 

 the outer web ; secondaries dull brown at the base, otherwise rufous brown, vermiculated with black, 

 except at the tip, where they are vermiculated with white, and finally tipped with pure white ; breast 

 and underparts generally black, the breast richly glossed with green ; lower part of the breast imper- 

 ceptibly vermiculated with grey ; abdomen marked with large white blotches ; feathers about the vent 

 and lower part of the abdomen loose and hairy, white towards the terminal portion,, those on the thighs 

 and tarsi brown, the former tipped with white ; under tail-coverts black, marked and tipped with white ; 

 under wing-coverts blackish, vermiculated with grey, and tipped with white, some grey, tipped with 

 white, others pure white; beak whitish horn; feet dull brown; iris brown. Total length 3 feet, 

 culmen 2 - 5, wing 14"8, tail 1T0, tarsus 30. 



Adult Female (St. -Petersburg market) . Head, neck, and upper parts generally light ferruginous, barred 

 with jet-black, many of the feathers having a white tip; quills dull brown, on the outer web marbled 

 with pale rufous ; secondaries tipped with white, the inner ones marbled closely on both webs with 

 ferruginous; wing-coverts similar to the back, but tipped with pale reddish cream-colour; tail and 

 upper tail-coverts bright reddish, almost fox-red, barred and marbled with black, and broadly tipped 

 with white ; chin, sides of the head, and breast pale rufous, spotted only here and there with black on 

 the lower part of the neck ; rest of the underparts pale rufous, here and there barred with black, and 

 many of the feathers so broadly tipped with white as to give a whitish appearance ; feathers round the 

 vent and on the tarsi almost pure white; under tail-coverts pale rufous, tipped with white, and here 

 and there marked with black; under wing-coverts white, marked with black; bill dull horn-brown, 

 paler at the edges of the mandibles and the base of the lower mandible. In size much smaller than the 

 male, measuring total length 26"0 inches, wing 12'0, tail 7 - 5, tarsus 2 - 5. 



Young in down (Sweden). Upper parts dark sulphur-yellow, washed here and there with rufous, and marked 

 with black, especially on the crown ; wings dull brown, tipped with rufous cream, and crossed by two 

 bars of that colour ; underparts sulphur-yellow, on the breast washed with rufous. 



Barren Female assuming the male plumage (Christiania, November 14th, 1871). Head and neck much greyer 

 and paler than in the adult male, most of the feathers being as in the female plumage at the base, but 

 tipped with grey as in that of the male ; wings and rump as in the male plumage, but more rusty in 

 colour ; tail black, tipped with white, and irregularly marbled, especially towards the base, with rufous ; 

 feathers on the sides of the head, throat, and breast rufous at the base, barred with black, and broadly 

 tipped with grey, those on the chin only very slightly marked with blackish ; rest of the underparts 

 rufous at the base, then black, and finally broadly terminated with whitish ; feathers on the thighs and 

 tarsi as in the male plumage. 



Obs. The barren females differ a good deal, and are sometimes almost identical with the adult male in 

 plumage, though easily distinguishable by their much smaller size. Mr. F. Bond possesses one in this 

 plumage, which he purchased in Leadenhall market, where I also saw it in the flesh. 



Of the hybrid between the Capercaillie and Blackcock, of which I treat further on, I have three specimens 

 from Norrland, obtained through my friend Mr. Meves, and one from Roraas, in Norway, obtained by 

 Mr. R. Collett on the 16th December, 1871, all males. This last specimen I have figured on an extra 

 Plate, with the barren female described above ; and as a description may be useful, I give it as follows: — 



Head and neck black, on the crown and upper part of the neck with dark bottle-green reflections, and on 

 the lower part of the neck glossed with rich purple ; back and rump black, here and there indistinctly 

 vermiculated with grey ; upper tail-coverts rather more vermiculated with grey and brown, and tipped 



