76 TETRAON1D.E. 



fiASOBES. TETRAONlDsE. 



PLATE CL. 



BLACK GROUS. 



TETRAO TETRIX. 



The Black Grous is very generally distributed over the 

 northern parts of Europe and Asia : in Europe it is met 

 with as far north as Lapland and the north of Russia ; is 

 very numerous in the countries adjoining the Arctic Circle, 

 in Scandinavia, Finland, and central Russia ; but its numbers 

 decrease as the countries approach the middle of Europe and 

 the south. In Italy and France, Switzerland, the Jura 

 Mountains, and Holland, it is by no means scarce ; and in 

 Great Britain it is found in many counties. The chief haunt 

 of the Black Grous is on a light sandy soil, where the 

 principal vegetation consists in heather and birch trees. In 

 some countries this bird goes by the name of the birch hen, 

 in consequence of its partiality to these trees. Large forests 

 are by no means the habitation of the Black Grous, but 

 uncultivated spots, where the birch tree flourishes, as well 

 as the juniper bushes, and all such as bear berries, and 

 heather of every kind ; there must also be here and there 

 an open spot of peat soil, covered with heath and moss 

 only. 



In some localities where the ground is entirely covered with 

 the common heather (Erica vulgaris), and where no tree is 

 met with in any shape, the Black Grous is found in great 



