8 I'AKL'IAL MIGRATIONS. 



reported, that an extraordinarily great number of Cajiercali 

 had for several consecutive days been seen in a certain 

 Avooded eminence near the village, and that they every 

 morning alighted in a newly-sovi'n rye-field close by, and 

 either devoured the young grain or trampled it under 

 foot. As, during my four years' residence in the parish, I 

 well knew that in the isolated little wood in question, 

 which was not a (English) mile in length, and less than 

 half a one in breadth, there was seldom even a black-cock 

 to be seen, much less a Capercali, I considered the story 

 as fabulous, or at all events greatly exaggerated ; but as 

 my informant persisted in his statement, I made up my 

 mind to visit the spot indicated the following morning. 



" But although I was there at dawn of day, I arrived 

 somewhat too late; for the birds were already in motion, 

 and part of them had settled in the fields. By con- 

 cealing myself in a ditch, however, I fortunately succeeded 

 in killing one, which on inspection proved an old cock. 



" I hastened now to the place pointed out by my 

 guide. A quarter of an hour had hardly elapsed before the 

 birds, a few at a time, returned and alighted close about 

 me. Being well out of sight, I was in no hurry to fire, 

 but took time to watch their proceedings. All remained 

 quite passive, and not one moved from the very spot on 

 which it bad settled ; neither could I observe that any of 

 them ate of the vounn;' vye. As tlie davli^ht increased, I 

 cast my eyes over the whole pack, which I judged to 

 number from seventy to eighty ; but amongst them I 

 could not discover a single female, one and all being 

 males — a fact previously observed by the peasant. Seeing 

 at length that some few of the more distant birds were 

 taking wing for the wooded hill in question, I thought 

 no time Avas to be lost, and therefore discharged my 

 gun into the nearest and densest mass, and Avith such 

 good ellect that three more fell dead on the spot. 



