WOOD GROUSE — BLACK GROUSE. 223 



There came Ptarmigans, too, from the regions of 



snow ; — 

 The Cock-of-the-Wood was e'er ready to crow; — 



feet eight or nine inches long ; the male, which is considerably 

 larger than the female, sometimes weighs fifteen pounds, more 

 frequently seven or eight. The two sexes differ greatly in 

 colour as well as in size. The head, neck, and back of the 

 male is elegantly marked with slender lines of grey and black 

 running transversely ; the upper part of the breast is a shining 

 green, the rest of the breast and belly black, mixed with some 

 white feathers; tail black, with a few white spots. The female 

 is red on the throat ; head, neck, and back, marked with bars 

 of red and black ; belly orange ; tail ferruginous, barred with 

 black ; length twenty-six inches. Eggs from eight to sixteen, 

 white spotted with yellow, larger than those of the domestic 

 hen. Inhabits the mountainous and woody parts of Europe 

 and Northern Asia, rarely found in this country. These birds, 

 it is said, never pair, but the cock calls the females together by 

 a peculiar cry which he makes perched upon a tree: 

 " And from the pine's high top brought down 

 The Giant Grouse, while boastful he display'd 

 liis breast of varying green s and crow'd and clapp'd 

 His glossy wings." 



Gisborne's Walks in a Forest — Spring; 

 This bird differs from most of the ether species of the genus in 

 his predilection for woods, and in perching on trees. Feeds 

 on the tops of the pine and birch, and also on juniper berries. 

 Flesh, of course, good. 



The Tetrix, Black-Grouse, Black-Game, Black-Cock, Heath- 

 Cock, Heath-Fowl, or Heath-Poult, is violet black, tail forked ; 

 several varieties; weighs sometimes four pounds; length twenty- 

 three inches. Female less than the male; her general colour 

 ferruginous, barred and mottled with black, beneath paler. 

 Eggs six or seven, dirty white, blotched with rust colour, size 



