stated by MacGillivray, is easily syllabled into go, go, go, go, go-baet, go-back; altl.ougb tlie Celts, uatnrally imagining tlio Moor Cock to
speak Gaelic, interpret it as sigtiifyiiig ro, ‘co, co, co, mo-ehlaldh, mo-Ma id k -t\m t is, who, who. (goes tlicre ?) my sword, mg swoid '
Toward winter, this species associate togetlier' in large flocks, and do not separate again until tlio following spring. YVl.et, gatl.orcd
together in such nnmbere, tlicy are snid to "pack,” and are verj- shy, nnd difficult of approacii, kcej.iiig a t all times a vigilant ivatcli
on those who intrude upon tlieir domains.
The coloring of tlie plumage of tliis species varies very much in different individuals, the ninjoritv appearing liko tliose represented in
the plate, wl.icii may be considered a.s tlie typical style; but I l.nve seen -specimens wliicli imd the entire breast almost I,lack witiiout
any mottling whatever. One kindly lent to mo by Mr. Gonld, of London, was of tl.is description. Mr. Selby states, tlmt tl.’osc bred
upon tlio moors of Blaiiclilund, iu tlic County of Durham, nro of a cream color, or light gray, spotted more or less witli dark brown or
black. Sir William Jar<litic possesses a "Gronse shot on tlio moors of Galloway, where the ground color Ls nearly yellowish «lute and
all the dark markings arc repre.scnted by pale reddisli brown ; tlic quilts nro dirty wliitc. In some instances tlie plniimgo takes an <’.],po-
site shade, and is remarkahlc for its deep tint, and tlic almost entire absence of nmrkings. Tlie wliolo, or part of tiie qiiil
0 often
found wliitc.”
■tniiig to il
its vftiyiiig 80
8 almost
ilany genera have been assigned to this bird, and its specific names arc very luimcrous; tlio doubts regar
chiefly from tlio difflculty of defining its proper position, ns to whotlier it sliould bo included niiiong tiie (iro
undoubtedly nearest allied to the latter (tl.o fact of its not tnrning white in winter being the strongest point of difference), aiKiriiko"tlm'
Ptarmigan, it is feathered to the end of the toes, whicli circumstance is never observed in the true Gronse; nltliongli, wlicn tliese itiliabit
very cold countries, tlio feathers of tlio tarsi grow very long, even covering tlie feet, und in tliis way protect tlic toes from the j.ieroing
air. I have noticed tliis more particnlariy in specimens of the Pediaecaetes Pliasianollns ft-oiu Hudson’s Bay, Tlic fact of ii
mucli in the color of its plumage, ns cited shove, is auoll.cr evidence of its close affinity to the Lngopi.la'c, of whicli ;
im)»ossib!e to find any two members exactly alike.
Tlie species to wliiei. tlic Lagopus Scoticus approaches most closely, is tl.o Lagopns Albus of Gmeiin: so near it. indeed, th a t it may
almost be considered as but an insular variety ; and specimens of L. Albus roscmblc each other in color of plnmagc mucli more tlm.i do
examples of any other species of Ptarmigan. Yet it would bo unwi.se, perhaps, to consider these two as only one, for each present certain
clmracters not observable in tlie otlicr. sufflcie.it to distinguish'tl.em easily, a t all times. One might, without liifflenity, speculate
upon tlio origin of the Bed Grouse, as to wlietlier it is but an offshoot of tho Willow Grouse, or whether, if transplanted to a more
severe climate, wl.cre the winter lasts tho greater portion of the year, it too might not, after a while, also' turn wl.ite as the summer
disappeared; these, after all. altl.o.igl. argued with ever so iniieli ability, would be but theories, and it is better to consider the fac/s as
tliey pre-sent themselves to us a t tl.e pre-«e..t day, and draw our deductions from tl.em, than to grope iu the dim past with but very
.iisuffieient guides to lead ns to tl.e truth, for which we ail arc striving. Without doubt, the wliite garb witli wliich nature has clotlied
tbo Ptarmigan during the severer portions of the year, is in its very color an additional protection from the cold, as it retains more
warmtli than if it were any oilier lu.e; and, with the exception of tl.o species imdcr consideration, tl.e members of tl.is genns arc inhabitants
of tlie most inhospitable portions of onr glob e ^e lig h tin g in tl.e fierce bla-st, and making their abodes amid tl.e deep snows of
1. Now, for tlie Scotch Grouse tliis cliaiigc of plumage was unDecereary, as it rarely ascends liighcr than two thou-
sea, but lives mostly in a comparatively mild climate, where its ordinary garb was sufficient protection, and ti.e extra
tlic loftiest
sand feet a
precaution of a white mantle nnnceded. I t seems tliat the mild climate is the most satisfactory reason which can be given for its not
cha..g.,.g the color of its pi,image with the season; since other,vise, being a Ptarmigan, it ought to change as regularly as its relative
tlie Lagopus Mutns, wlueh abides upon tlic slopes and summits of the l.igh mountains tl.at look down upon the l.eath-clad ,,Inins
It is singnlar that this bird sliould bo so nearly allied to tbe Lagopns Albns. and yet present sufficient characters to entitle it to a
specific distinctness. Singular, because, in examples of tlic Willow Ptarmigan from Lapland, Norway, Sweden, and tl.romrl.out the nortlicrn
portions of tho American continent, I can as yet discover uo differences between them wortliy of constituting a separate speciesalthough
leagues of ocean and of land may have divided tlieir various haunts during life; yet this species is only to be fonnd in tho
British I.slnnds. The one encircles nearly the entire globe ; tlic otiier is confiiied witliin nan'ow bounds.
Tlie fact of the present species not turning to white in winter, docs not invalidate its claim to be considered
Lagopus; and to sustain tl.is opinion, there is ample cvideiieo of tho same fact existing among tlie
same genus turn white in winter in some latitudes, whUc otliers, inhabiting different chmates, do
desire to arrange them under .separate genera,
In looking nt this suliject, it must also be tak.
style, and not of the Grouse,
It would tlius appear, tliat, with
distinct from tlic L, Albus. •
s gcnerically a true
t, when some species of the
0 not ; yet no ouc, for this cause, would
o consideration th a t tlic egg of the present apccics is strictly of the Ptarmigan
r present means of judging, tlie Scotch Grouse should be bold as a true Lagopus, but specifically
Tto I ... tto to ..l, n „ k , tocrel, „ J .¡d ,. brisl.t „ „ „ d will. H„e bl.ck 11,»,. Tb. ,„lddl. of lb . b i.rel
.„ d .bdoni.ii, d .,k b ,o ,i., , . i „ . l b . . , b l» k , with of ih . fcdlh™ .l,.p.d will, whit.. Ubd.r loll co v .» , .b o .lii.l with . t„ -
to ii.l wb,t. bar. Tto .,1.1, . , l e . bright tl™. tb . 1„,,.,, , |, . f . , , b . „ . „ „ „ „ „ » I , b .r r.d with blaek, .» d f ,.,..,,,! ,- h , , l „
patch., . t black, ,1 th Ha, bat, of p.ll.wi.b wblta. Tb. p ,l,„ a ,l.. ,,„d ...c a d .r ia . aw, cboo.lat. bri,wa, tb . o a t., w .b . of tho l.llo ,
a .i.aM , . . . „ . d „1,1. ,.,|d i.h b ,.„ a , Tb . „ p p ., tall c . r t . b k . H . back, . . . . t b . . . b.vlag whit. tip.. Tto tall ha, th . two
. a . . , . f . . , b . „ c b .r t..,, ba„ad with black, th . . . . t two .llEl.tlr b .r i.d , a .d th . naiad., of a d .,k .l.o .o l.t. b , . , „ Th.
f . . t b . „ of .1» t . . „ b , . , n , b a , m ,,b light., th . to ... Bill black, will, a whit, .pot a t th . h a » of th , low,, „„„d iU,
Th. f .a ,.l. „ a,ach hghto, th ,,. th . ,a .l., ,h . g.,,.,.,! . .lo , b .l.g of . j.ll.wiah b,.wa, with th . t „ a . , . „ . „ .„ k i.g , and patch«,
caoh more d„l,aot. Th. bremit la ,.d d ..h browo hatred „¡tl, black. Tho whll. .p o t. a t th . b a .. of th . bill a , , not tm . I c l v d.f.ncd
a . tto „ . I . , ,b . p rim .ri,. . , . .to c .la f t b ,.„ „ , . . , . . o . d . , l „ , tb , latte, bre.dly mottl.d, Tb. f .a tb .., of th . t.rel
and toes arc pale gray. Tlic bill l.lack,
Tlie young are covere.l with a yellowish down, marked on ti.e back and sides with dark brown, and liaving tho top of the head
chestnut, with a spot before and behind the eye of a dark l.rown. Bill brownish black ; tl.o claws pale brown
The plat* represents tl.e ...ale, female, and young of the natural size.