540 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 
3rd I saw a cock settle on its usual trysting-place, which it 
frequented every evening for a long time, and where it 
drummed later on. 
In consequence of this overwarm March weather the 
drumming-time of the Capercaillie began unusually early, 
was several times interrupted by the change of weather, and 
passed off in a very irregular fashion. On the 22nd, 23rd, 
and 24th of April I had personal opportunities of observing 
that almost all the cocks had ceased calling in the well- 
stocked grounds, and that was generally just the height of 
the season. 
On February 23rd, during pretty cold weather, I met with 
the Blackcock (Tetrao tetitx) in packs of from twenty to 
thirty, not far from Prague. In the morning these birds 
were on the fields near the woods, as they usually are in 
winter, and on several occasions some cocks began to call for 
a few moments. 
3y February 27th the large packs had already broken up, 
and at daybreak the cocks were drumming at the usual places, 
as if it were really spring, and from that day up to the present 
time they have continued to drum uninterruptedly in the best 
possible way. 
In the immediate neighbourhood of Prague, where there is 
quite an extraordinary head of Blackgame, I had previously 
killed some old cocks that had several of the brown feathers 
of the hen, generally on the back, but sometimes even on the 
breast ; and this year I had various opportunities of doing so 
again. It must be remembered that these were not the 
grey-brown feathers that one finds on cocks of the year, but 
that they were of a bright brownish yellow, just like those of 
the hen. The birds, too, were old cocks with well-curved tail- 
feathers, and were drumming, surrounded by their wives. 
Almost all these abnormal specimens had some white feathers 
on the chin; and this I have hitherto only noticed in the 
