| OCR Text |
Show 1886.] MR. R. COLLETT ON HYBRID GROUSE. 231 1 Aarg. 2 B. p. 71 (Christiania, 1823), described a specimen in summer plumage which he obtained from Thoten (near the lake Mjosen in Norway). From the size of this specimen it appears to have been a male. The statement is as follows:- (Malel in summer (July)). "Caput, collum, dorsum, pectus Tetraonis tetricis fceminae. Remiges primores et secundarice alba, plurium tectricum alba?. Rhachis remigis lme fusca. Rectrices nigra? apicibus albis, duabus mediis nigris ferrugineo-undulatis Cauda non forficata. Abdomen et femora ut in T. tetrice foemina, modo pennis singulis albis ornata. Digiti sublanati. Mag-nitudo T. tetricis fceminae.'" The colouring of the summer plumage thus generally resembles that of the Greyhen, but is distinguished by a few white feathers on the abdomen. The tail-feathers also differ from the winter garb in that the central pair are transversely banded with brown. An inaccuracy has probably been made in describing the wings as white instead of " whitish," as in summer it is not likely that the white colour would be more extended than in winter; (and the description " digiti sublanati " contradicts the possibility of the specimen being a partial albino of the female Tetrao tetrix). Young Plumage. The plumage of the young is, as one might expect, mottled brown like both parents, but the upper parts remind one more of Lagopus albus, the lower parts of Tetrao tetrix. I found a single specimen, a male, in this garb amongst a parcel of game from Oster-dalen (South-eastern Norway) in the autumn of 1880 ; it had been probably shot or captured at the end of September. The plumage of the young on the whole is still retained, but a few winter feathers have already appeared amongst the brown ; the wings and the outer tail-feathers are also new, and belong to the winter plumage, and thus present a striking contrast to the other mottled brown feathers. Young male in autumn (Plate XXII. fig. 1).-The upper parts mottled and banded by rusty yellow and black, almost the same as in the young of Lagopus albus, the cross bands being narrower and closer than in the young of Tetrao tetrix. In the longer wing-coverts there is a discernible light elongated patch along the quills. The tail-feathers, as in Lagopus albus, jun., are transversely banded with black and reddish brown. On its lower parts the breast and sides, as in the young of the Tetrao tetrix, are closely and evenly banded with black and rusty yellow, and both colours are about the same extent. In this respect they more nearly approach the last species than Lagopus albus, as the young birds of Willow-Grouse have the rusty brown colour much more developed (so that the breast can be said to be a rusty yellow with irregular black patches or broken cross bands). The under tail-coverts are barred by greyish white and brown as in Tetrao tetrix. The throat is barred, but not so manifestly as the breast. |
