HYBRID GROUSE,

Tetrao hybridus, Sparrm.
——_— medius, Meyer,

Le Tetras Rakhelhan.

We believe it is now the prevailing opinion among naturalists, that the bird figured in the accompanying Plate
(the Zetrao medius of Meyer and Temminck,) is merely a hybrid between the Capercailzie and the Black
Grouse, and as we ourselves are inclined to entertain the same opinion, our figure will therefore be of interest
as an illustration of the singular appearance presented by the mixture of the two species. While in this
country, Professor Nilsson of Stockholm, a competent judge, and in whose opinion we should consequently have
no hesitation to confide, informed us that no doubt existed in his mind as to the hybridization of the two birds
in question, and this we believe is also the opinion of the resident inhabitants of the countries where they are
found. On a subject respecting which so much doubt exists, it will perhaps be preferable to consider it as a
hybrid, until the discovery of a female or more information is acquired relative to its history. The countries
in which this bird is found are of course only those inhabited by the two species in question, consequently
Norway and Sweden are the places where it is most generally met with. Few springs pass without examples
of this bird being sent to London in company with Capercailzies, Black Grouse, &c. Of the numerous
individuals we have had opportunities of examining little difference was found to exist ; neither, we believe,
did the examples inspected by Mr. Yarrell differ from each other in their internal structure.

Head, the whole of the neck, and breast dark purple; the feathers of the head, and back of the neck very
minutely freckled with whitish; the remainder of the upper surface dark brown, minutely freckled with
lighter brown; the scapularies and secondaries terminated with whitish ; quills dull brown margined with
greyish white; on the shoulder a small patch of white; under surface dark brown minutely freckled with
lighter brown; vent white; under tail-coverts black, largely tipped with white; tail black, some of the
centre feathers slightly tipped with greyish white ; feathers of the legs mingled with greyish white and brown ;
bill horn colour; feet black.

The figure is of the natural size.