black, the crown r e d d i s h brown; throat, greyish w h i t e ; neck on the
back and sides, minutely mottled with dusky; back, mottled with
b l a c k and c h e s n u t ; the legs yellowish grey; the toes pale greyish
brown. The male in its first plumage has the bill brownish black;
b a c k , pale reddish brown, h a n d e d with brownish black; breast above,
similarly marked, but paler, the dark markings n a r r o w e r ; below, grey,
a n d b a r r e d with d u s k y ; primaries, minutely barred with brownish
b l a c k ; secondaries, white at the base, and broadly tipped w i t h white;
t a i l , b a r r e d with brownish b l a c k ; toes, light brown.
After the first moult the plumage is complete, except that the neck
is m i n u t e l y b a r r e d with c h e s n u t ; as also are the wing feathers, and
(lie while hand on them d i s t i n c t ; the tail feathers t u r n i n g outwards,
b u t not to the full extent a t t a i n e d afterwards. Each year the colours
become deeper and p u r e r , and the mottling less.
I n a considerable number of instances this species has been known
to pair with the Pheasant, in a few with the Red Grouse, and in
one with the Common Fowl; also with the Capercaillie, and, though
very r a r e l y , with the Ptarmigan. T. ('. Eyton, Esq., of E y t o n , has
r e c o r d e d the p a i r i n g of the G r e y H e n with the Pheasant, at a manor
near Merrington, Shropshire, the brood being five; also another specimen
of the hybrid killed near Corwen, in Merionethshire. Joseph
Sabine, Esq., another bred in Cornwall. It had on the shoulder a
w h i t e spot, and the middle feathers of the tail were elongated; the
l e g s p a r t l y feathered. Mr. Leadbeater another killed near Alnwick,
in N o r t h u m b e r l a n d , the tail short but s t r a i g h t , pointed and graduated
l i k e that of the Pheasant. The head, neck, and breast, rich maroon
colour, the leathers el' t h e l a t t e r w i t h darker crescented tips. Dr. E d w a rd
Moore has r e c o r d e d a h y b r i d of this kind killed at W h i d e y , near Plymouth,
Devon, 18o7, the more prominent features being those of the
G r o u s e , t h e tail however not forked, b u t fan-shaped, a n d about half the
l e n g t h of that of the Pheasant, the legs not feathered, and the space
above t h e eye witli f e a t h e r s ; t h e neck black, and somewhat mottled, the
p l u m a g e generally like that of the Pheasant, but the white spot on
t h e shoulders. Mr. Macgillivray also one between the present species
a n d the lied Grouse, which had the tail slightly forked, but only of
s i x t e e n feathers as in the latter bird. Length, one foot eight inches
a n d a half, t h e wings e x t e n d i n g to the width of two feet seven inches
— t h e quills twenty-six—the legs feathered all r o u n d ; the toes, which
are brown, also feathered a third down, as are the i n t e r d i g i t a l memb
r a n e s ; the claws brownish black; the bill brownish black; the bare
space over the eye scarlet, the head on the back minutely mottled
with brownish red, brownish black, and g r e y ; the neck on its hinder
part with a larger proportion of grey, the remainder black, with a
tinge of reddish purple, the sides, however, obscurely b a r r e d with
brownish red; the throat feathers margined with white; the breast
generally black, the feathers tipped with white; the sides banded
with r e d ; the lower part of the tail black, with a l a r g e space of white
at the end. The wings u n d e r n e a t h white; the axillary plume white;
t h e back minutely waved with brownish black and brownish red, ended
with very narrow bands of w h i t e ; primaries, g r e y i s h brown, mottled on
their outer edges with w h i t e ; secondaries, tipped with greyish white;
g r e a t e r wing coverts, brownish black and brownish red, minutely
waved, the feathers ended with very narrow bands of white; lesser
wing coverts, also minutely waved with brownish black and brownish
red, with very n a r r ow bands of white at the tips of the feathers. The
tail is black, the two middle feathers very obscurely mottled with
reddish, the eight middle ones n a r r o w l y t i p p e d with w h i t e ; the feathers
on the legs greyish white, those on the outside being mottled with
red. In some instances the female has assumed to a considerable
extent the plumage of the male. Sir W i l l i am J a r d i n e mentions one,
shot by the late Sir Sydney Eeckwith, entirely of a whitish grey,
having the cross markings of a darker and browner shade.
One, a h y b r i d between the Black Cock and the Capercaillie, p a r t a k i ng
in part of the plumage of each, was obtained on the Marquis of
Brcadalbane's moors in P e r t h s h i r e , about September, 1852.
Another was shot in AVoolmcr Forest, p a r t a k i n g of the plumage of
t h e Pheasant and t h e present species. A similar one is in t h e Chichester
M useum.