3°2 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
moil barred with red, the others black ; the quills 
are dufky ; the legs are clothed with foft white fea- 
thers down to the claws, which are Itrong, and of 
a light colour. The female is fomewhat lefs ; the 
naked Ikin above each eye is not fo confpicuous, 
and the colours of its plumage in general much 
lighter than thofe of the male. 
This bird is found in great plenty in the wild, 
heathy, and mountainous tra&s in the northern 
counties of England ; it is likewife common in 
Wales, and in the highlands of Scotland. Mr 
Pennant fuppofes it to be peculiar to Britain; 
thofe found in the mountainous parts of France, 
Spain, Italy, and elfewhere, as mentioned by M. 
Buffon, are probably varieties of this kind, and we 
have no doubt would breed with it. We could 
wifh that attempts were more frequently made to 
introduce a greater variety of thefe ufeful birds in- 
to this country, to flock our wafle and barren 
moors with a rich fund of delicate and wholefome 
food ; but, till a wife and enlightened legiflature 
lhall alter or abrogate our very unequal and inju- 
dicious game laws, there hardly remains a fingle 
hope for the prefervation of thofe we have. Red 
Groufe pair in the fpring ; the female lays eight 
or ten eggs, on the ground : The young ones 
follow the hen the whole fummer ; as foon as they 
have attained their full fize, they unite in flocks of 
forty or fifty, and are then exceedingly fhy and 
wild. 
