H3 THE RED GROUSE PTARMIOAX. 
and boldly defenf! the nest or young Trom llio ortli- 
narv aggressors. One of ihe most dfingerous for iiie 
eggs 18 iK<; couirimii eamoii crou' or corbv, l>ui tina 
is ttftfu atlin'kfd in return an<i smressfiilly beaten (iff. 
In coivfinement llu*y very easily lame and become fa- 
miliar, ami Have even bred, though I believe the 
young, after being batched, have very rarely been 
reared. 
The adult plumage of iho grouse whiih have at- 
taiived on age beyuad a year or lu'o^ is a {leep rieb 
simina brown, the belly ahnosl entirely hiaek. Many 
*i])erimee.s ate much niarkeil wiih white on the under 
pari9, and Konio to a greater degree than others ; 
and it is a usual thing to remark of ibese hirds, 
u'here the colours are so l irhly contrasted, " Whiit a 
fine okf bird he is." The r«! verse, hovs-ever, is the 
truth, for though white h so oflen the attribute of 
age, it is in this ease most prevalent upon the 
young malea, Tite females are of a paler tint, and 
have the markifign larger. During the breeding sea- 
son, the feathers of both become mueh niore rut in- 
to, an it were, wUh yellow, and their tipn are pale 
yellowish white* The grouse varies occasionally to 
dilTereni shades of cream colour, but we are not aware 
of any Bpecimens being perfectly vvhite, 
Another grouse, very jnearly resembling the moor- 
fowl of Briiain, is jhe Willo^v Grouse, Lagopvs sali- 
Ct'Li, iidnd)iting the arctic parts of NonJi America, and 
extending from thence to the north of Europe. The 
pUimage of tin; summi>r U extremely similar to the red 
g-JTOUse, but that of the winter is entirely white. The 
