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Show 1886.] MR. R. COLLETT ON HYBRID GROUSE. 229 the description of a single specimen in an old treatise (see below); and finally the young in down, which is also unknown l. Winter Plumage. The winter plumage develops itself in Norway during October, and as a rule is completed by the latter half of the month. Whilst one or two of the males had not moulted the last autumnal feathers in the beginning of November, one of the females was in full winter plumage on the 7th of October. This, however, was not an accidental circumstance, but has its analogy in Lagopus albus, in which the change to winter plumage takes place more rapidly in the females, although they begin to change later than the males. The tarsus and toes are then fully clothed, and the naked outer half of the toes is completely hidden by the overlying hair-likp feathers. The male in winter (Plate XXI. fig. 1) has the upper parts black with greyish-white, finely freckled edges to the feathers; the under surface is white, with an irregular black patch on the breast which may be of greater or less extent, occasionally parted in the middle, or so small that there only remain a few black feathers. On the flanks a few black feathers are always present, but sometimes hidden by the white ones. The wing-coverts are chiefly white, speckled with brown. The wing-feathers are brownish black, finely speckled with grey ; the outer web of the primaries is white. A more or less conspicuous white band passes through the eye, and under this a similar black one (including in most cases, but not always, the chin), with narrow white edges to the feathers. The upper tail-coverts are black with broad white edges; under tail-coverts white. The tail-feathers are black with narrow white tips, which almost disappear on the outermost ones. The front of the tarsus is greyish. The eyebrows are bright red; their height 11 millim., of which the upper toothed ridge is 4g millim. Although the winter garb is remarkably similar in its general appearance in the different individuals, a slight variation in some details will always be found. In some the unspotted white parts are more extended than in others, while in others the black feathers are predominant on the flanks and abdomen. One of the specimens in the University Museum (Nov. 1881) was unusually dark, with a very large patch on its breast, nearly black scapulars, and numerous black feathers on tbe abdomen. The female in winter (Plate XXI. fig. 2) has the upper parts banded with black and yellowish brown, and whitish freckled edges to the feathers. The ground-colouring of the lower parts is white, each feather blackish at base ; the breast and flanks barred with yellowish brown and black, and edged with white. The wing-coverts are speckled with white, greyish brown, and rusty yellow ; the wing- J A more detailed account of the different plumages I have given in ' Videnskabs-Selskabets Forhandlinger, Christiania,' 1872 (p. 238); and ' Nyt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne,' vol. xxiii. 1877, p. 159, and vol. xxvi. 1881, p. 324. |
