Game-Birds. 
237 
The Red Grouse is an inhabitant of the 
moors up to the limit of heather-growth, 
above which the Ptarmigan takes its place, 
The nest is a slight hollow in the ground, 
lined with moss or grass and hidden by 
some overhanging heather or ling. The 
eggs are sometimes as many as twelve in 
number, and -are very richly coloured, 
having the ground-colour creamy buff, 
more or less concealed by the spots and 
blotches of dark reddish brown, which are 
scribbled all over the egg : their length is 
about an inch-and-three-quarters. 
The chief difference 
THE 
PTARMIGAN. 
(Lagopiis niutus.) 
between the Ptarmigan 
The Ptarmigan. 
and the Red Grouse 
lies in the fact that the 
former bird has a snow-white winter 
plumage, excepting for its black outer tail- 
feathers. The male has a black patch in 
front of the eye, which is absent in the 
female. In summer the dress is much blacker, and in the autumn it is greyer, so 
that there are three distinct phases of plumage. The Ptarmigan is only found on 
the high mountains of Scotland, and it inhabits the same altitude in Scandinavia 
and the other high mountains of Europe to the Alps and the Pyrenees. Its plumage 
assimilates to its 
surroundings at the 
different seasons, 
and it turns 
white when the 
snow covers the 
mountains. Its nest 
and eggs resemble 
those of the Red 
Grouse. 
THE 
BLACK GROUSE. 
( Lyrurus tetrix.) 
The Black Grouse. 
The coloration 
of this species is so 
