semilunar, scarlet, erectile patches of naked skin over ©ach
eye become inflated until: they stand, up firmly above-the
crown of the bead, but shortly after death they collapse, and
in autumn they are far less marked $ the beak is ■ black;
the irides dark brown; the feathers of the head, back,' wing-
coverts and tail, black ; those of the_peck and rump, metallic
blue-black; the primary quill-feathers brownish-black, with
white shafts; the secondaries and tertials black -at the lend,
but white at the base, forming a conspicuous white;, bar
below the ends of the great wing-coverts, which, with the
lesser coyerts, are black ; the feathers of the spurious wing,
with white spots at the base; tail of eighteen blaek feathers,
of Which three, four, and sometimes' five of those? on %ach
outside are elongated, and curve outwards; the -others nearly
equal in length, and square at the end; 'the ‘ chin, .breast,
belly, and flanks, black; under.wing^overts, axillary plume,
and under tail-coverts, pure white 7 vent, a thighs, and legs,
mixed black and white*;- toes and claws blackish-brown.
The whole length is twenty-ltwo inches.^'JBkom the carpal
joint toc-the end of the wing,, ten inches and a half; the farm
•of the wing rounded; th^ first .quill-feather. about as long
as . the, seventh, the second about as. long as ,the „sixth, the
fourth rather longer?.than the third or-the-fifth, and' the
longest in the wingv ,
....The female:,ofltke Black Grouse, usually-called the Greyhen
j has the beak dark brown,-, irides hazels ,’the general
colour of the plumage paler j^hpsinut-brown barred ;jand
freckled with black,; the dark bars -and. spots larger,-sand
most conspicuous pm the breast, back, Wings, land upper
tail-coverts ; the feathers..of the. breast .edged with .greyish-
white, particularly-in old birds and «a# those from, northern
latitudes;, under tail-covert’s -nearly.white; ^feathers,' ciothe
legs pale mottled brown; toes and claws brown.
The whole length is .seventeen, to,eighteen inches^ :from
fthe carpal joint to the end of th e wing, • nineyinbEeh^tg
In the y o u n g d own a day or two old; Ithe bill is
yellowish-brown ; the’ general colourKfe,yell q wish Tuff; .paler
below : ruddier,' with: dark'mottlings, abbvei; a .dark brown
spot on the forehead, and a broad chestnut patch, with
darker edges; on thè crówn.' When partially fledged; the
bill becomes darker, and the feathers' on the back and
wing-coverts have white tips and céntres;. ’
Tfie first plumage o f the young male -is similar to that
of the female, but by the beginning of October the female
garb has been discarded; the tail is?blacky although hut
slightly forked, with a few mottlings on the upper coverts |
dark feathers, only slightly mottled with brown or grey;
cover both upper and under part's, and the’white bars on
the wings are thoroughly defined. The head already is
glossy black, but the inown 'feathers ’ still remaining about
the neck give the bird a peculiar appearance, which is, however,
soon lost. The mottlings oh the wing-coverts and
secondaries disappear witlir increasing -age, and by the third
year full plumagé is assumed;
Examples of both sexes" are. sometimes found with an
unusual amount of white' about their plumage, and this is
especially the case with'" females from northern and northeastern
localities; , Males from Siberia' shew more white
than Western specimens, but beautiful examples with white-
möttled breasts and wing--covert's may 'also, though rarely,
fee obtained in Scotland. Isabelle varieties of "the, female
are also met with.'
Barren Grey-hens sometimes assume the male plumage,
and the 'collection of Mr. F. Bond contains some remark-,
ably fine examples. One of'these‘us- nearly^ black 'below,
with a fèw mottlings, and rich bluish-purple above; others
shew little more than a tendency to- a uniform dull iolou'r;
with white bars on the wing and" metallic blue on -the rump.
The weight of.an old' Black-coffe has bëen known to reach
lbs.; a young one -weighs from.; .2|.'tq 3 lbs., and a Greyhen
from 2 to 2£ lbs.
Hybrids between the Black" Grouse and -the"Capercaillie
have been noticed when treating óf the former species’, Iht'ei?
breeding has also taken place between the Black and the Bed
Grouse, and in many parts ofethis country both birds inhabit
the same ground; but suchf^a union" happens more rarely