File:Britain's birds and their nests (1910) (14568915997).jpg

Identifier: britainsbirdsthe00thom (find matches)
Title: Britain's birds and their nests
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Thomson, Arthur Landsborough, Sir, 1890- Thomson, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1861-1933 Rankin, George
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain Birds -- Nests
Publisher: London : W. & R. Chambers
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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rds the former, the Red-Grouse is the only species of bird, or indeed of higheranimal, which is indigenous to the British Isles, and tothe British Isles alone. Within our area it is ratherwidely distributed, and is exceedingly abundant in someparts. On the Continent it is quite unknown. Beingquite sedentary, it does not occur even as a wanderer.On the other hand, there is on the Continent a closelyallied bird, the Willow-Grouse, or Norwegian Ryper, notindigenous within our area, although introduced in placesand abundant in our markets in winter under the nameof Ptarmigan. The Willow-Grouse resembles our truePtarmigan in having a white winter dress; but there canbe no doubt that it is more closely allied to the Red-Grouse. In fact, the two species must be considered ashaving been derived from a common stock, which origi-nally populated the whole of northern Europe, perhaps ata time when our islands were joined to the mainland.Since then the Red-Grouse has dropped the white winter dress
Text Appearing After Image:
^J2/ Plate 34. RED-GROUSE—Z<:i^^^///i scotiais. l,ength, 15 in. ; wing, 8-25 in. (Gallin^ : Tetraonidte.)M 102 BRITAIN^S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 103 to suit the milder conditions of our climate. Whetherthe Red-Grouse has earned the right to specific rank isthe disputed point. Some authorities hold that since itinvariably breeds true, admits of an easy diagnosis,and has a definite geographical range, it may thereforebe regarded as a separate species, although its commonorigin with the Willow-Grouse is by no means disputed.Others hold that the differences are insufficient towarrant its being considered more than a geographicalrace. If this latter view be accepted, the unique positionreferred to is of course destroyed, inasmuch as a score ormore of species have geographical races peculiar to ourarea. But we may safely say that the differences in theseother cases are much slighter, so that the Red-Grouse, ifnot alone, is at least foremost in this respect. To enterfurther on the merits

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