46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



out of a covey of Grouse. William Houston." " Lag opus. — 

 Hybrid variety (L. scoticus, L. mutus). P. Z. S., 1878, p. 793. 

 Wm. Houston." 



It will be noticed that this bird in its colours appears to be 

 about as nearty half-way between a Red Grouse and a Ptarmigan 

 in summer plumage as is possible, and on this account it differs 

 widely from those more numerous instances in which the birds 

 are reported as having white or light-coloured backs. 



In his communication to the Zoological Society, Prof. Newton 

 pointed out that it resembled a hen Ptarmigan in summer plumage 

 above, but that its general appearance was much darker, whilst 

 underneath it had a greater resemblance to the young of the Red 

 Grouse, and that it was shot in the vicinity of a locality frequented 

 by Ptarmigan ; he added that he was not aware of any record of 

 such a hybrid, though information received induced him to believe 

 that other examples had before occurred. 



In a letter to myself, Prof. Newton says, inter alia, " I can 

 well conceive that in some cases it would be very difficult, if not 

 impossible, to decide whether albinism or hybridism was the 

 cause of departure from the normal plumage, and though I have 

 never doubted that this particular example has been rightly 

 assigned, I certainly do not mean to assert that my opinion could 

 not be controverted." 



Later on, — namely, in November, 1888, — on my returning the 

 specimen, he wrote : — 



" I have to thank you for returning the supposed hybrid Grouse's skin, 

 and also with favouring me with your opinion of it, which I shall bear in 

 mind. I confess, however, that I attach a great deal of importance to that 

 of Captain Houston, from whom I received the specimen. He is an old — 

 I might say very old — man, an accurate and thoughtful observer, and very 

 conversant with Grouse and Ptarmigan. Indeed, it would not be easy to 

 find a more practical man competent to give an opinion. All the same, 

 looking to what I constantly lament, the ignorance under which we all 

 suffer as regards hybrids, it seems to me that we should be very cautious 

 in coming to any conclusion, and above all that we ought not to dogmatize 

 on the subject. I think it would be hardly safe to say of birds, like those 

 of the genus Lagopus, that one member of a brood might not have a different 

 father from the rest. 



" I fully admit that there are few birds more variable than the Red 

 Grouse, The beiutiful series of specimens collected by my friend Mr. T. E. 



