40 
TETRAONIDJS. 
tomed to be on the moors on the 12th and 20th of August, in pursuit 
of the respective speeies, will doubtless admit. The black-cocks are 
said by the keeper to come much at this season (early in January), be 
the weather what it may, to the covers in whieh we met with them, 
where they feed on the buds of the trees, — those of the birch and hazel 
being preferred. They eontinue in the woods from this period until 
the breeding season commences, but are considered, now as well as at 
all other times, to remain on the ground during the night. 
In the comparative lowlands of the south the black grouse is mueh 
more common than in the wilder and more mountainous highlands of 
Scotland. To mention my personal experience only, I have, whilst 
visiting sporting friends in various parts of that country, remarked the 
noble black-cock to be much more frequent in different parts of Ayr- 
shire (in Dumfries and Wigton-shires, and in the island of Islay) 
than in more northern shooting quarters. In the district around Meg- 
garnie castle, on the banks of the Lyon, in the north-west of Perth- 
shire, rieh in all the grandest features of highland scenery, these birds 
were rather scarce in 1829, and our party one day resorted to the 
battue system to obtain a few brace. Their haunt was ehiefly in the fine 
heathy and ferny glades, which with gleams of light broke in upon 
and picturesquely varied the otherwise monotonous natural woods 
that clothed the banks on the side of the river opposite to the ancient 
castle, — these banks being also favourite haunts of the graeefid roe-deer. 
The jetty black-eock springing, as he sometimes did there, from the 
underwood of rich-green juniper, appeared with fine effeet. About the 
extensive and admirable grouse moors of Aberarder and Dunmaglass, in 
the north of Inverness-shire (possessing, too, abundance of suitable 
ground for black-game, with the remains of natural woods on the lower 
skirts of the mountains), they were still more rare ; and during the 
month of September 1842, which I spent there, not one was killed. 
A few frequented one portion of the ground ; but they were not suffi- 
ciently numerous to tempt us to go in pursuit of them. They were 
reported as becoming gradually scarcer in both these localities. Sports- 
men generally are indifferent about them, where red-grouse are 
numerous ; the pursuit of the latter affording, in every respect, so 
much better sport. 
On Hybrids produced in a tvild state between the Black- Grouse 
{Tetrao tetrix)^ and Common Pheasant {Phaskmus Colchicus). — I made 
