M'lLLOW GROUSE. 
PAS 
breadth of that part of beak three cightlis of an inch; tarsi 
one inch and a half; middle toe one inch and a half; hind toe 
half an inch. The female varies from half an inch to an inch 
shorter than the male. 
The Willow Grouse is an inliaLitant of the north of 
both Europe and America. Its home is, however, more 
especially in Sweden and Norway, Lapland and 
Greenland. 
In Sweden and Norway it occupies much the same 
position as the Led Grouse does in our own country. 
A question was raised in the ‘^Zoologist,” in 1858, as 
to the specific identity of the two birds, by INIr. 
Norman, of Hull, and an interesting discussion ensued, 
which, however, appeared to go against such a sup- 
position. In the present day it is more difficult than 
ever to define the character of species. Grant says 
that ‘^species mongers” have been destroyed for ever 
by the all-jDowerful wand of Mr. Darwin. I for one, 
however, refuse to submit to a dogma of this kind, 
and will take the liberty of considering the Tetrao 
saliceti as a species perfectly distinct from that of T. 
Scoticus. Its affinities are more with the Ptarmigan 
than with the Red Grouse, but it is distinct from both. 
INIuch as I was indebted to Mr. Wheelwright for his 
notes about the Hazel Grouse, I am still more obliged 
to him for the very valuable account with which he 
has favoured me of the j)resent bird. Living as he 
does in their own country, Mr. W.’s experience is 
valuable, and his well-known contributions to natural 
history entitle his remarks to our respect. Like the 
last contribution the present one is filled up where 
deficient from Nilsson. 
“The MTllow Grouse is found in the north of 
