RED r . i t o r s E.
r e d d i s h chesnut brown, b a r r e d with black lines; the primaries, ten,
d u s k y b r o w n ; the secondaries, fifteen, mostly dusky b r o w n , the outer
margins minutely mottled with reddish brown, and the inner five
r e d d i s h brown minutely burred with brownish black, and with patches
of black; tertiaries, also brown, edged on the outside and freckled
w i t h lighter b r o w n ; greater and lesser under wing coverts, w h i t e , but
in some individuals spotted and barred with brown. The tail, short,
s t r a i g h t , and s l i g h t l y r o u n d e d , of sixteen feathers; under tail coverts,
c h e s n u t , with a bar of black, and the end and tips white. Legs,
l e a t h e r e d , light grey, sometimes mottled with b r o w n ; toes, feathered,
also light g r e y ; t h e first toe is extremely short, the t h i r d the longest,
tin1 fourth a l i t t l e longer than the second; t h e y are r o u g h e n e d undern
e a t h , and the front ones webbed at the base, and with three plates
at the end. ' T h e number of scutelbe that may be clearly traced is,
on the several toes, t h r e e , five, n i n e , and s i x / The claws arc rather
long, arched, flattened, and the tips b l u n t ; they arc blackish brown
at the base, and greyish yellow at the end.
T h e female is a good deal smaller and less b u l k y , as also paler in
colour. Weight, about sixteen ounces; l e n g t h , one foot three inches
and a q u a r t e r ; bill, brownish black, the white feathers at the base of
t h e bill are d u l l e r ; iris, hazel; the membrane over the eye is less,
a n d not so b r i g h t , and the white feathers on tin; eyelids are also
d u l l e r . Head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, yellowish chesn
u t brown, tinged with red with a few black spots, all paler in
summer; chin, throat, and breast, pale brownish red barred with
b r o w n i s h black, and tipped with yellowish, paler in summer; on the
sides b a r r e d with black and yellowish; back, yellowish chesnut brown
t i n g e d with red, paler in summer, t h e tips of most of the feathers
yellowish.
T h e wings expand to the width of two feet one inch and a
q u a r t e r ; g r e a t e r and lesser wing coverts, b a r r e d with black and tipped
with yellowish; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, paler brown
more tinged with g r e y ; greater and lesser under wing coverts, mostly
w h i t e , but some of them brown, and others barred. The tail has
t h e four middle feathers b a r r e d with black, and tipped with yellowish,
t h e rest barred with reddish, except towards the tips, which are
yellowish grey; upper tail coverts, barred with black, and tipped
w i t h yellowish.
The young are at first covered with pale yellowish grey down; the
h e a d , chesnut, margined with darker brown, the lower parts mottled
w i t h pale brown, and the u p p e r with deep brown. After a month's
growth, the bill is brownish black, the tip of the upper one whitish;
RED GKOTJSE. 13
iris hazel. Head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, brownish
black, each feather edged and barred with yellowish red; the neck
on the -ides and in front, greyish yellow. Throat, greyish yellow;
breast, yellowish grey, barred with brownish black; back, brownish
black, each feather edged and b a r r e d with yellowish red. The primaries,
secondaries, and tertiaries have the outer webs greyish brown, irregul
a r ly edged and barred with pale reddish yellow. Legs, yellowish
g r e y ; claws, pale brown.
When fully fledged they resemble the adult female. Head, crown,
neck on the back, and nape, pale yellowish red, b a r r e d with blackish
brown; chin, throat, and breast, paler. Back, pale yellowish red,
mottled and barred with brownish black and pale yellow, most of
t h e feathers h a v i n g a small whitish spot at t h e tip. Primaries, secondaries,
and tertiaries, greyish brown b a r r e d with greyish yellow. Tail,
greyish brown b a r r e d with greyish yellow.
After the moult, which takes place in the middle of winter, the
male has the head and neck on the back still much b a r r e d and
blotted, the breast chiefly brownish black tinged with grey; the legs
and toes grey. The female has most of the feathers tipped with
whitish, and is altogether of a paler and more yellow colour than the
male, and the tail more or less b a r r e d . In summer, also, still paler
than in winter.
Red Grouse vary considerably in colour, those in Wales and the
western side of the island being lighter coloured, and those on the
eastern side d a r k e r ; scarcely two can be found exactly alike. Some
have the breast nearly black, some with a good deal of w h i t e ; others
have the back with much black—different localities furnish birds of
different ' shades of character.' In one, a cream-coloured or light yellowish
brown variety, the usual markings were p r e s e r v e d ; the quills
and greater wing coverts were of a bluish grey cast, as was the lower
part of the breast: it was a young bird. Individuals are met with
more or less variegated with w h i t e ; others pale greyish yellow, faintly
mottled with dusky: one mottled with brown and white was shot by
Lord Stanley. Some birds are v e r y dark, some have the quill leathers
e n t i r e ly or partly white. Sir William J a r d i n e mentions one in which
t h e quills were dull white, the ground colour yellowish white, the
d a r k markings on it pale reddish brown.