89 
A NEW HYBRID GROUSE 
Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus) X Canachites canadensis (Linnaeus) 
By P. A. Taverner 
Illustration 
Plate I. Hybrid grouse 
Page 
91 
By hand of Mr. B. C. Lloyd the National Museum has lately received 
a most interesting hybrid grouse specimen from the Ven. Archdeacon R. 
Faries of York Factory, Hudson bay, Manitoba. The following informa- 
tion was furnished by Mr. Faries: 
“The hybrid partridge was shot by a young half-breed on February 16 [1931], in a 
swamp about 2 miles back of the settlement of York Factory. It was with a covey of 
willow ptarmigan feeding on the little black willows which grow on muskeg land. 
A year ago I heard of a spruce partridge that was white with grey and black spots, 
having been shot by an Indian near cape Tatnam, but was not able to secure the bird for 
examination. Evidently that was also a hybrid between a spruce partridge and a ptar- 
migan.” 
The specimen was in flat skin, but made up into a most beautiful 
specimen. Its general characters are so completely those of Canachites 
that were it not for its heavily feathered, completely typically ptarmigan 
feet it would easily pass as a partial albino male spruce grouse. As it is 
there can be no question as to its identity. The coloured portions are pure 
black and a fine slate grey with the slightest suggestion of light brownish 
in the semi-concealed feather bases. The illustration shows it in almost 
natural colours. The similarly described bird taken a year previous was 
probably a nest mate of this one and suggests that a more or less full brood 
of this character was raised. 
