862 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Upper -parts much like adult 

 male summer but feathers of mantle and scapulars with concentric 

 surrounding buff lines and not so transversely barred ; chin and 

 throat yellow-buff speckled brown-black ; rest of under-parts 

 yellow-buff broadly barred brown-black ; tail as upper-parts ; 

 primaries and primary-coverts dark brown marked yellow-buff on 

 outer webs ; secondaries and greater-coverts with yellow-buff bars 

 and edgings on outer webs and tips, inner feathers and rest of 

 coverts like upper-parts. N.B. — Juvenile plumage attained and 

 moulted as described under Capercaillie, see p. 853, footnote. 



First winter. Male and female. — When juvenile plumage is 

 completely moulted (Oct.) they are like adults though sometimes 

 outer (1st) primary is more sharply pointed but this is not always so. 



Measurements and structure.— $ wing 200-214 mm., tail 100-114 

 tarsus 38-43, bill from nasal groove 11-13 (15 measured). $ wing 

 190-208, tail 95-105, bill 9-12. Primaries : 3rd and 4th longest, 

 1st 35-47 mm. shorter, 2nd 5-15 shorter, 5th 5-10 shorter ; outer 

 webs of 2nd to 6th emarginated basally and of 1st to 6th very 

 narrow and slightly serrated along edge. Tail slightly rounded, 

 1 6 feathers, tips rounded. Longest upper tail-coverts almost, or quite 

 as long as middle tail-feathers, under tail-coverts rather shorter. 

 Tarsus feathered and upper side of toes to claws. Hind toe very 

 small and elevated but with strong claw, three front ones connected 

 at base by web, rather short ; claws arched, slightly curved and 

 dilated, rather thin and obtuse (claws are moulted in autumn). Bill 

 short, strong, curved and smooth, tip of upper mandible projecting 

 and somewhat thin and rounded. Nostrils hidden by feathers in a 

 somewhat deep nasal groove. Over eye a bare space with small 

 papilla?, most marked and large in adult male. 



Soft parts. — Bill brown-black ; claws dark brown horn-colour ; 

 iris hazel ; bare skin over and behind eye red. 



Characters and allied form. — For distinctions of L. s. hibernicus 

 see under that form. Dark brown wing -feathers distinguish Red 

 Grouse from other species of Lagopus. 



Field -characters. — Peaty upland moors and low-lying peat-bogs 

 and " mosses," especially where ling and other heaths dominate the 

 vegetation, are typical haunts. Robust form, feathered legs — more 

 or less white — ruddy coloration which appears almost black at a 

 distance in the darker birds, and in spring conspicuous vermilion 

 naked patch above eye — larger than in other Grouse — are good 

 characters. Grouse rise with a whirr and travel with strong heavy 

 flight close to ground, rapid wing-beats alternating with long 

 glides on bowed wings. In spring male utters a loud challenge " ko, 

 ko, ko, ko-bac, ko-bac, ko-bac." Other notes are a crowing " bee, 

 bee, bee " and a nasal " yow, yow." 



Breeding-habits. — Found on moors and rough pastures from 

 sea-level up to considerable elevation. Nest. — A hollow in ground 

 sheltered by heather or tussock of Scirpus, lined dead grasses, etc. 



