170 THE RED GROUSE PTARMIGAN. 
and boldly defend the nest or young from the ordi- 
nary aggressors. One of the most dangerous for the 
eggs is the common camon crow or corby, but this 
is often attacked in retura and successfully beaten off. 
In confinement they very easily tame and become fa- 
miliar, and have even bred, though I believe the 
young, after being hatched, have very rarely been 
reared. 
The adult plumage of the grouse which have at- 
tained an age beyond a year or two, is a deep rich 
sienna brown, the belly almost entirely black. Many 
specimens are much marked with white on the under 
parts, and some to a greater degree than others ; 
and it is a usual thing to remark of these birds, 
where the colours are so richly contrasted, “ What a 
fine old bird he is.” The reverse, however, is the 
truth, for though white is so often the attribute of 
age, it is in this case most prevalent upon the 
young males. The females are of a paler tint, and 
have the markings larger. During the breeding sea- 
son, the feathers of both become much more cut in- 
to, as it were, with yellow, and their tips are pale 
yellowish white. The grouse varies occasionally to 
different shades of cream colour, but we are not aware 
of any specimens being perfectly white. 
Another grouse, very nearly resembling the moor- 
fowl of Britain, is the Willow Grouse, Lagopus sail- 
celi, inhabiting the arctic parts of North America, and 
extending from thence to the north of Europe. The 
plumage of the summer is extremely similar to the red 
grouse, but that of the winter is entirely white. The 
