292 TETRVONID.E. 



state of tlie season. During liis play, the neck of the Caper- 

 cali is stretched ont, his tail is raised and spread like a fan, 

 his wings droop, his feathers are ruffled up, and in short, he 

 much resembles in appearance an angry Turkey-cock. He 

 begins his play with a call something resembling the word 

 jjeller, peller, pcller ; these sounds he repeats at first at some 

 little intervals ; but as he proceeds they increase in rapidity, 

 until at last, and after perhaps the lapse of a minute or so, he 

 makes a sort of gulp in his throat, and finishes by drawing in 

 his breath. During the continuance of this latter process, 

 which only lasts a few seconds, the head of the Capercali is 

 thrown up, his eyes are partially closed, and his whole ap- 

 pearance would denote that he is worked up into an agony of 

 passion." 



" On hearing the call of the cock, the hens, whose cry in 

 some degree resembles the croak of the Raven, or rather, 

 perhaps, the sound s:;ock^ gock, gock, assemble from all 

 parts of the surrounding forest. The male bird now de- 

 scends from the eminence on which he was perched to the 

 ground, where he and his female friends join company.'"' 



" The Capercali does not play indiscriminately over the 

 forest, but he has his certain stations, which may be called 

 his playing-grounds. These, however, are often of some 

 little extent. Here, unless very much persecuted, the song 

 of these birds may be heard in the spring for years together. 

 The Capercali does not during his play confine himself to 

 any particular tree, and is seldom to be met with exactly on 

 the same spot for two days in succession. On these playing- 

 grounds several Capercali may occasionally be heard playing 

 at the same time. Old male birds will not permit the young 

 ones, or those of the preceding season, to play. Should the 

 old birds, however, be killed, the young ones in the course of 

 a day or two, usually open their pipes. Combats, as may be 

 supposed, not unfrequently take place on these occasions ; 



