GROUSE. 185 



Distribution. — Perthshire, Forfarshire, to Loch 

 Lomond, east Stirling, and Fife ; extending its range. 



The British race of Capercailzies was exterminated 

 about the middle of the eighteenth century. Origin- 

 ally a native species in the pine tracts of the British 

 Isles, it had to be reintroduced from Sweden into 

 Scotland in the early part of the nineteenth century, 

 and the birds now to be seen in parts of that country 

 are descendants from the new stock. The Wood- 

 Grouse, as it is also called, affects principally pine 

 woods, feeding largely upon the tender shoots of the 

 Scotch fir, as well as upon buds and berries of various 

 kinds. It is much given to perching, often high up, 

 in trees, whence in spring, at dawn and sundown, 

 the male bird utters his powerful love-cry, ' Peller ! 

 peller ! ' expanding and erecting his tail and drooping 

 his wing-feathers like a Turkey-Cock. The female 

 is much smaller and of a ruddy plumage, and deposits 

 her numerous eggs in a hollow scratched beneath a 

 tree or bush. Besides being a third larger than 

 the Blackcock, the Capercailzie has not the lyre- 

 shaped tail of that species. 



PTARMIGAN.— Plate 82. 15 inches. In winter 

 entirely white, except outer tail-feathers and a streak 

 across the eye, which are black. Female has no 

 eye-streak. In summer black above, finely mottled 

 with brown and white ; wings and under parts 

 white. Red patch over eye at all times. Resident. 



Eggs. — 8-10, yellowish- white, blotched with dark 

 brown; 1-7 x I'l inch (plate 180). 



