CHAPTER VII. 



The Rackel-Fogel. — Not a Separate Species. — The Learneil at Fault. — 

 Plumage of these Birds. — Theii- Parentage. — Opiiiious ditier. — Tlie 

 Rackel-Fogel iii Confinement. — Their Habits. — Pugnacity of the 

 Males.— Their Spel. 



TTYBRIDS between the Capercali and the Black-Cock 

 -*— L — called in Sweden Rackel-Fogel — i^ve not so very 

 uncommon in Scandinavia. The accompanying ilkistration 

 by the late M. Kovner, taken from specimens in the Lund 

 Museum, gives a very good idea of the general appearance 

 of these birds. 



Tlie existence of the Rackel-Eogel as hybrids has been 

 perfectly well known in the peninsula for a very long 

 time. Some years ago, however, Russian and German 

 naturalists, thinking they had made a discovery, elevated 

 this bird into a separate species, to which they gave the 

 name of Tetrao i/itermedius, and afterwards Tetrao tnedius ; 

 but since then they have, I believe, found out and rectified 

 their error. 



The plumage of the Haclcel-Ilane — the male — is said 

 to vai'y considerably in different individuals. According 



