﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  151 
  

  

  breast, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  white 
  feathers, 
  is 
  glossy 
  black, 
  

   but 
  this 
  colouration 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  uncommon 
  amongst 
  cock 
  

   Grouse. 
  The 
  head, 
  tail, 
  wings, 
  and 
  feet 
  show 
  the 
  cross 
  with 
  the 
  

   black 
  game 
  most 
  strongly. 
  The 
  beak 
  is 
  large, 
  and 
  the 
  comb 
  

   extremely 
  red 
  for 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  year 
  ; 
  the 
  tail 
  is 
  exactly 
  that 
  of 
  

   a 
  young 
  Blackcock, 
  but 
  shows 
  no 
  sign 
  of 
  curving 
  in 
  the 
  outside 
  

   feathers. 
  The 
  wings 
  are 
  peculiarly 
  marked, 
  and 
  resemble 
  to 
  some 
  

   extent 
  those 
  of 
  a 
  Capercailzie 
  cock, 
  especially 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  wing 
  

   coverts 
  ; 
  but 
  Mr. 
  Macleay 
  says 
  he 
  has 
  seen 
  this 
  colouring 
  in 
  the 
  

   wings 
  of 
  Greyhens 
  sent 
  from 
  Jura, 
  and 
  which 
  had 
  all 
  the 
  appear- 
  

   ance 
  of 
  being 
  very 
  old 
  birds. 
  The 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  most 
  strongly 
  

   showed 
  the 
  black 
  game 
  strain, 
  and 
  seemed 
  quite 
  as 
  well 
  adapted 
  

   for 
  perching 
  as 
  those 
  birds. 
  The 
  bird 
  itself 
  was 
  rather 
  under 
  the 
  

   size 
  of 
  a 
  Greyhen, 
  and 
  weighed 
  2J 
  lbs.; 
  it 
  was 
  shot 
  amongst 
  

   some 
  juniper 
  bushes.' 
  

  

  A 
  still 
  finer 
  example 
  of 
  this 
  hybrid 
  was 
  shot 
  near 
  Ardgay 
  in 
  

   December 
  1894 
  : 
  — 
  'This 
  bird 
  is 
  a 
  male, 
  very 
  dark, 
  and 
  showing 
  

   the 
  Red-Grouse 
  feathers 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  on 
  its 
  glossy 
  black 
  breast. 
  

   The 
  head 
  and 
  tail 
  are 
  distinctly 
  those 
  of 
  a 
  Greyhen, 
  and 
  the 
  

   plumage 
  is 
  much 
  spotted 
  with 
  white. 
  The 
  toes 
  are 
  feathered 
  half- 
  

   way 
  to 
  the 
  claws, 
  the 
  rest 
  quite 
  bare, 
  and 
  they 
  show 
  the 
  pectina- 
  

   tions 
  distinctly, 
  though 
  not 
  to 
  such 
  an 
  extent 
  as 
  true 
  black 
  game. 
  

   The 
  legs 
  are 
  well 
  feathered' 
  (Annals 
  Scot. 
  Nat. 
  Hist., 
  April 
  1895, 
  

   p. 
  125). 
  

  

  Edward 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  considered 
  the 
  Grouse 
  as 
  

   abundant 
  on 
  the 
  moors 
  of 
  Banffshire. 
  He 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  1 
  Exists 
  on 
  all 
  

   our 
  moors, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  great 
  numbers.' 
  We 
  can 
  only 
  consider 
  that 
  

   either 
  Edward 
  was 
  speaking 
  of 
  their 
  numbers, 
  comparatively 
  

   with 
  those 
  of 
  other 
  large 
  areas 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  or, 
  that 
  his 
  personal 
  

   experiences 
  were 
  confined 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  limited 
  area 
  near 
  his 
  nat;\c 
  

   town. 
  

  

  The 
  Red 
  Grouse 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Upper 
  Cabrach 
  and 
  Upper 
  

   and 
  Middle 
  Deveron, 
  and 
  all 
  round 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  encircling 
  hills 
  of 
  

   the 
  Duke 
  of 
  Richmond's 
  moors 
  and 
  forests, 
  as 
  far 
  down 
  as 
  Huntly. 
  

   It 
  is 
  perhaps 
  a 
  little 
  scarcer 
  between 
  Huntly 
  and 
  the 
  sea 
  — 
  east 
  or 
  

   north 
  — 
  but 
  it 
  occurs 
  on 
  suitable 
  areas 
  even 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  summits 
  

   of 
  the 
  cliffs 
  near 
  Troup 
  Head, 
  diminishing 
  in 
  numbers 
  as 
  the 
  

   appropriate 
  areas 
  are 
  contracted. 
  It 
  is 
  abundant 
  again, 
  however, 
  

   by 
  the 
  head 
  waters 
  of 
  Bogie, 
  by 
  Tap 
  o' 
  Noth, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  head 
  

  

  