. A dictionary of birds . pon it is continued ; but of itspresent condition I know notliing. ^ It is to tills species that belong, almost without exception, the thousandsof birds sold in our markets as Ptarmigan. ^ Examples from Newfoundland have been described {Auk, 1884, p. 369) asforming a subspecies, L. alleni. 390 GROUSE (Vaccinium and others) that, often thickly interspersed with willowsand birches, clothes the higher levels or the lower mountain-slopes,and it contrives to flourish in the New World where heatherscarcely exists, and a heath in its strict sense is unknown. Itis true likewi
. A dictionary of birds . pon it is continued ; but of itspresent condition I know notliing. ^ It is to tills species that belong, almost without exception, the thousandsof birds sold in our markets as Ptarmigan. ^ Examples from Newfoundland have been described {Auk, 1884, p. 369) asforming a subspecies, L. alleni. 390 GROUSE (Vaccinium and others) that, often thickly interspersed with willowsand birches, clothes the higher levels or the lower mountain-slopes,and it contrives to flourish in the New World where heatherscarcely exists, and a heath in its strict sense is unknown. Itis true likewise that the Willow-Grouse always becomes Avhite inwinter, which the Red Grouse never does; but then we find thatin summer there is a considerable resemblance between the twospecies, the cock Willow-Grouse having his head, neck, and breastof the same rich chestnut-brown as his British representative,and, though his back be lighter in colour, as is also the wholeplumage of his mate, than is found in the Red Grouse, in other. respects than those named above the tAvo species are precisely distinction can be discovered in their voice, their eggs, theirbuild, nor in their anatomical details, so far as these have beeninvestigated and compared. In connexion too with this matter itshould not be overlooked that the Red Grouse, restricted as is itsrange, varies in colour not inconsiderably, and game-dealers ofexperience assert that they are able to pronounce at sight thenative district of almost any bird that comqs to their hands.^ ^ A very interesting subject for discussion would be whether Lagopus scoticusor L. alius has varied most from the common stock of both. I can here butbriefly indicate the more salient points that might arise. Looking to the factthat the former is the only species of the genus which does not assume whiteclothing in winter, an evolutionist might at first deem the variation greatest inits case ; but then it must be borne in mind that the species of Larj02
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1896
