346 TETEAOXIDyE. 



THE CAPERCAILLIE. 



TETRAO UROGALLUS. 



Feathers of the throat elongated, black ; head and neck dusky ; eyes with a bare 

 red skin above and a white spot below ; wings brown speckled with black ; 

 breast lustrous green ; abdomen black with white spots ; rump and flanks 

 marked with undulating lines of black and ash colour ; tail black with white 

 spots ; beak horn white ; eyebrows naked, red, beneath the eye a white spot. 

 Length two feet ten inches. i^emaZe— a third smaller, barred and spotted with 

 tawny red, black, and white ; throat tawny red, unspotted ; breast deep red ; 

 tail dark red with black bars, white at the tip ; bill dusky. Eggs dull yellowish 

 white speckled with yellowish brown. 



The Capercaillie, Wood Grouse, or Cock of the Woods, 

 was a rare bird in Scotland in Pennant's time (1769), and 

 was found only in the Highlands north of Inverness. It 

 has since become extinct; but efforts have been made 

 with some amount of success to introduce it anew. In 

 the pine forests of Sweden and Norway it is still indi- 

 genous, but, being a large and beautiful bird, is much 

 sought after, and is annually receding from the haunts of 

 inen. It is also found in some of the central countries of 

 Europe, as Poland and the Jura mountains, where it is 

 said to be rather common. It is not only an inhabitant 

 of woods, but passes its time for the most part in trees, 

 and feeds in great measure on the young shoots of the 

 Scotch fir. In summer it adds to its dietary berries, seeds, 

 and insects, for which it searches among bushes or on the 

 ground, returning to the woods to roost. The male bird 

 has obtained great celebrity for his marvellous performances 

 when serenading the hens during the morning and evening 

 twilight in spring. " During his play, the neck of the 

 Capercaillie is stretched out, his tail is raised and spread 

 like a fan, his wings droop, his feathers are ruffled up, 

 and, in short, he much resembles in appearance an angry 

 Turkey Cock. He begins his play with a call something 

 resembling the words i:)eller^ iJelUr, peller; these sounds he 

 repeats at first at some little intervals, but, as he proceeds, 

 they increase in rapidity, until, at last, and after perhaps 



