Chap. XIII. LAW OF BATTLE. 45 



Black-cock (Teirao urogallus and T. tetrix), which are 

 both polygamists, have reguhir appointed places, where 

 during many weeks they congregate in numbers to 

 fig]it together and to display their charms before the 

 females. M. VV. KowaleA^sky informs me that in Eussia 

 he has seen the snow all bloody on the arenas where 

 the Capercailzie have fought ; and the Black-cocks 

 " make the feathers fly in every direction," when 

 several " engage in a battle royal." The elder Brehm 

 gives a curious account of the Balz, as the love-dance 

 and love-song of the Black-cock is called in Germany. 

 The bird utters almost continuouslv the most stransfe 

 noises : " he holds his tail up and spreads it out like a 

 " fan, he lifts up his head and neck with all the feathers 

 " erect, and stretches his wings from the body. Then 

 '' he takes a few jumps in different directions, some- 

 " times in a circle, and presses the under part of his 

 " beak so hard against the ground that the chin-feathers 

 " are rubbed off. During these movements he beats 

 " his win2;s and turns round and round. The more 

 " ardent he grows the more lively he becomes, until at 

 " last the bird appears like a frantic creature." At 

 such times the black-cocks are so absorbed that thev 

 become almost blind and deaf, but less so than tlie 

 capercailzie : hence bird after bird may be shot on 

 the same spot, or even caught by the hand. After 

 performing these antics the males begin to fight : and 

 the same black-cock, in order to prove his strength over 

 several antagonists, will visit in the course of one morn- 

 ing several Balz-places, which remain the same during 

 successive years.^* 



^* Brelim, ' Illust. Tliieiieben,' 1867, B. iv. s. 351. Some of the fore- 

 going statements are taken from L. Lloyd, ' The Game Birds of 

 Sweden,' &c., 1867, p. 79. 



