the month of August, being then more , than half grown) begin
to show some of the black feathers which'distinguish the sex,
and which .first appear in spots and patches about the sides
and breast» The change to the complete dark plumage goes
on in some instances so slowly that-1 lately saw a youhg'male
of the season of 1839, which retained a few brown feathers
as late ns the middle of the monthnf February 1*840.
In the summer these birds live upon seeds, the tender
shoots of heath, leaves, and some insects. In autumn they
feed on berries 'of. various sorts, occasionally visiting cornfields
and s tu b b le s a n d ;iu winter I have found their crops distended
with the tips of the most recent shoots of pines and
firs.
• The supply.of these birds to the-Lendon poulterers is very
large and continuous, from' the end of August: till the following
month of April-; during the first four montHsdiroin Scotland,
and afterwards from N or way and - Sweden. * Grouse
shootmg commences in Norway on the first day of August ;>
and numerous are 'thdsed'biids in some', parts of-Sweden;
where they are strictly preserved, where, the hens are never
shot at, and no spring shooting allowed, that one/diundred
Black Cocks- have not urifrequently been kiUed' inv$>jie day.
In the southern parts of England, Black Grouse-are found
in Sussex on Ashdown F o re st; in Surrey on» St. Leonardos
Forest; near Horsham; and from P.udmores along thesbrows
o f the heath-drills towards Tilford, and again ffxom Tilford iip
to'the DeviFs Purich-bowlon Hiadhead. In 1815, H. M.
Thornton, Esq. -ofiChdbham, brought two Black Cocks and
three i Grey frogr Holland. These birds were turned
out on the Ilurtwood, a tract of heath between Guildford and
Dorking. At that time ithis speeies of game 'had been! ex*
tanct iff t h a t . part'Tor ! fiftyryearsbut: litbese, - foreign birds;
being well 'preserved, have replenished the district'. They
bred the following spring 'after their introduction, and the
first nest observed Was within a hundred yards of the spot
where they wërë first turned ©ut. Some of 'the descendants
of^fie^è birds'h#v§'stmye4'>tó the; heathy districts between
Farnham and Bagshot, and have extended themselves as far
as Finchampsfë'ad in » Berkshire. .' Black' Grouse occur again
in Hampshire on the New Forest, and from thence along to
the; westward^ rip - Dorsetshire ; " they are found op. Dartmoor
and Efmoor in Devonshire, and are abundant ?on the pro-:
petty of Lord 'Caernarvon near Dulvarton, on the north-»
eastern border^-of Devonshire, and the heaths of Somerset*
shire, from whence they a re ' found in Worcestershire and
Staffordshire ; they kje\ found'- also on moStupf'tbe extensive
deaths of Shropshire!, and on tbeBeswyn chain near Corwen;
It is included- in-the catafoghoj bf thesbirds of [Lancashire;
§nd . from thenof^becomes ' toone ‘pleritifeil @n; proceeding
northwards.
Black Grouse are common over nearly the whole of Scandinavia.,
“ Linnaeus met.iwith- it on his-tour high up in tie
forests -of Lapland-;%it "is found in Russia,-Siberia, .Poland*
GermanyjliHolland, Franc## and Along the wh®|# chain of the
Alps,- and other mountain ridges that are .covered with forests,
and,; according to Savi, in Italy. •-
Having mentioned,, the tendency dmong ! Pheasants and
Grouses, to breed one with another occasionally, without ré-'
strictionfiQ^theifeïpwn species,' I may jb^ere particularise the
various examples of hybrids between the Pheasant and thé
Black Gköfise in -thé-order 'imlwhi&h theylhave. been, recorded.
The fir s t is!jthe bird noticed ^ .G ilb e rt White, of Selbome;
of which a <^>lputed .representation Jgigivew in some Of the
editions o f his work. The 'subject being then new; the real
character of that rspeeimei^was a matter of doubt, till moré
recent experience, and other; examples, - seemed tó confirm its
oriffin. In June 1834, thé late Mr. Sabine called the atten-
tion of the m#m|feES pres.ept at va meeting of; th# Zoological
x %