70 THE BLOSS OCH HAF. 



Another very destructive plan of capturing the Caper- 

 cali and the Black-Cock is by the aid of "Bloss och Hctf" 

 that is, by torch-light and a sort of landing-net. 



As said in. the first chapter, the Capercali not unfre- 

 quently passes the night buried in the snow. Of a cold 

 winter evening, therefore — for on such more especially 

 they seek this warm shelter — the fowlers (for there are 

 always t\Ao) proceed to that part of the forest where 

 the birds are known to resort, and carefully watch their 

 movements ; as beneath the trees on which the Caper- 

 cali were last seen perched, or in the near vicinity, they 

 are pretty sure to make their coucli. "When it has become 

 dark, the men set off on skidor, that their movements 

 may be conducted more silently. One carries the Bloss 

 and the other the Haf or landing-net, which is px'ovidcd 

 with a very long handle. AVhen they arrive at the sus- 

 pected place they narrowly scan the surface of the snow, 

 and so soon as they discover the slightest indentation 

 or depression therein — the only evidence, as already 

 said, of the presence of the birds — the Ilcif is at once 

 placed over the spot, and pressed down as hard as 

 possible, to prevent the captive bird from creeping be- 

 neath it and from fluttering, thereby alarming others of 

 the ^)fl6'/i; that may be lying thereabout. 



But it is only in Dalecarlia and certain other parts of 

 Scandinavia, I believe, that this j)lan of taking the forest 

 bii'ds is resoi'ted to, which perhaps is as well; for we are 

 told that, in districts where game is plentiful, two men 

 have been known thus to capture from twenty to thirty 

 Capercali and Black-Cock in the course of a single evening. 

 We are further informed that a certain individual was 

 in the habit of taking every year by this means upwards 

 of a hundred of these birds. 



This method of fowling has, however, many advantages. 

 It s unattended with danger of any kind, is not cruel. 



