866 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



black-brown, tipped white and more or less vermiculated buff ; 

 tail as winter ; wings as winter but inner median and a few inner- 

 most greater coverts and often one innermost secondary as upper- 

 parts ; feathering of tarsus and toes thin and worn. N.B. — The last 

 feathers to grow in this moult, which is very gradual, are more: 

 barred with yellow-buff than the earlier ones. 



Adult female. Autumn. — Upper-parts much like adult male 

 autumn but crown and neck always with considerable amount of 

 yellow barring and rest of upper-parts with usually more yellow- 

 buff tinge and many feathers with small white spots or wedge- 

 shaped marks in centre of tips (varying individually) ; under-parts 

 also like male autumn but feathers of breast and flanks with white 

 fringes or wedge-shaped marks at tips varying in size : tail as male 

 but central pair usually considerably vermiculated grey or buff with 

 white tip and edges of other feathers sometimes vermiculated, outer 

 feathers often with white tips and white edging on basal half ; wing- 

 feathers as male but primaries sometimes more or less speckled 

 black and inner secondaries and greater coverts sometimes with one 

 or two grey-brown patches. N.B. — A few summer feathers are 

 frequently retained. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 as in male, but central pair of tail-feathers not moulting twice at 

 this period as is exceptionally the case in male, though exception- 

 ally central pair belonging to summer plumage is not fully grown 

 at commencement of moult to autumn. Winter. — Moult like male.. 

 Like male except for differences in tail and wings described above 

 and without black band through lores, feathers of fore-part of lores 

 and patch behind eye with black bases more or less concealed by 

 long white tips. Summer. — Moult as male but rather more com- 

 plete, very rarely any white feathers retained on upper -parts, some 

 inner greater and median coverts moulted and usually two inner- 

 most secondaries, varying number (occasionally most) of feathers 

 of belly, most flanks and all under tail-coverts and sometimes, but by 

 no means always, central pair of tail-feathers. Head and neck barred 

 black and golden-buff with some small white spots at tips of 

 feathers ; mantle same but with large patches of black in middle 

 portions of feathers ; rest of upper-parts, upper tail-coverts, 

 central tail-feathers (when renewed), inner greater and median 

 coverts and innermost secondaries more closely barred yellow-buff 

 with white fringes (often somewhat wedge-shaped) to tips of most- 

 feathers, and tips of some scapulars and often inner secondaries and 

 coverts greyer and somewhat vermiculated ; chin yellow-buff 

 streaked or narrowly barred brown-black and sometimes more or 

 less white ; rest of under-parts golden-buff barred brown-black but 

 number of such feathers on belly varying ; often many on vent and 

 tibia tinged yellow-buff. 



Nestling. — Ground-colour of upper-parts paler buff not so 

 dark or yellowish as is usual in Red Grouse nor so yellowish as in 

 Black Grouse, especially noticeable on neck and sides of crown ; 

 chestnut of crown intermediate ; black markings of upper -parts 



