Class II. BLACK GROUS. 355 



and tail, are of the same colors as the neck, but 

 the red is deeper ; the inner webs of the quil 

 feathers are mottled with black and white ; the 

 inner coverts of the wings are white, and in 

 both sexes form a white spot on the shoulder. 

 The tail is slightly forked ; it consists of eigh- 

 teen feathers variegated with red and black; 

 the feathers under the tail are white, marked 

 with a few bars of black and orange. This 

 bird hatches its young late in summer ; it lays 

 from six to eight eggs, of a dull yellowish white 

 color, marked with numbers of very small fer- 

 ruginous specks, and towards the smaller end 

 with some blotches of the same hue. 



Besides the common species of black cock, Mixed 

 M. Brisson mentions a variety found in Scot- 

 land, under the name of le coq de brnyere 

 piquete, or spotted black cock. It differs from 

 the common sort in being spotted on the neck, 

 breast, wings and thighs with red. This I sup- 

 pose to have been a spurious breed between 

 this and the former species, as the Tetrao Hy- 

 bridus* of Linnceus is. I could not learn that 

 this mixed race was found at present in North 

 Britain, perhaps because the cock of the wood 

 is now become so very rare. It is also found in 



* Arct. Zool. i. 366. Sparman Mus. Carlo. Tub. xv. Lath, 

 Sup. i. 214. id. Slip. ii. 275 ? 



Breed. 



