y TUEIR PARENTAGE. 105 



more elongated than in the Capercali hen, but less so 

 tlian in tlie Grey-Hen. 



The parentage of the " Rackel-Pogel " has long been 

 a mooted question with great authorities in Sweden, and 

 I am not quite sure that it is even yet settled. Some 

 contend, and among the rest the late M. Talk, that there 

 are two kinds of these birds in Scandinavia, one being the 

 ofiTspring of the Black-Cock and Capercali hen, and the 

 other of the Capercali cock and Grey-IIen. Nilsson and 

 others, on the contraiy, roundly assert that one and all of 

 the " llackel-Eogol " claim the Black-Cock for father, and 

 the Capercali hen for mother. The professor says, in 

 addition, that the several specimens seen by M. Ealk, and 

 from whicli, in part at least, that gentleman formed his 

 judgment, were really not " Rackel-Fogel," but sterile 

 Capercali liens (similar to the one depicted at page 3 

 of this volume), which had assumed the plumage of young 

 Capercali cocks. 



One reason for Nilsson assuming the paternity of the 

 " Kackel-Fogel " to rest solely witli the Black-Cock is, 

 that although the latter has been seen on different occa- 

 sions to ^^\x with the Capercali hen,* no one can 



* "One morning, in tlie year 182S," says the Ensign Herkepii, "I 

 WMs at an ' Orre-Lek ' in the parish of Lanipis, in Finlaiid, and had already 

 shot two Black-Cock wlien a Capercali hen alighted on the ground about 

 ninety paces from my ' screen.' She was immediately surrounded by the 

 cocks, who, to my gi-eat surprise, one after the other regidarly paired with 

 her, while tlie other cocks, six to seven in numlier— although there were 

 several hens present — engaged in a general battle amongst themselves. As 

 it was then full daylight, and the Capercali hen a considerable distance 

 friiiu me, I did not care to disturb the Lek by firing at her, and had 

 therefore ample opportunity of convincing myself of her identity. And it 

 was little likely I coiild be mistaken, as the Capercali hen has not only a 

 longer neck than the Grey-Hen, but is much larger than even the Blaek- 

 Cock himself Two mornings subsequently, and at the same Lek," the 

 Ensign goes on to say, " a Capercali hen — ]ir(jbably the one seen by myself 



