CAPERCAILLIE. 295 



Norfolk. After a few months the hen laid six eflfSfs, and 

 from these, in process of time, six Capercali were produced. 

 The chicks lived until they had attained a very considerable 

 size, when owing to the effects, as it was supposed, of a burn- 

 ing sun, to which they had been incautiously exposed, the 

 whole of them, together with the mother, died. On this 

 mishap, the old cock, the only survivor, was turned loose into 

 the game preserves, where he remained in a thriving condi- 

 tion for about a year and a half. At last, however, he also 

 met his doom, though this was supposed to have been owing 

 rather to accidental than natural causes. In farther corrobo- 

 ration of the fact, that the Capercali will breed when in con- 

 finement, I make the following quotation from M. Nilsson''s 

 work. That gentleman''s authority was the Ofwer Director of 

 Uhr, and the birds alluded to were at a forge in the province 

 of Dalecarlia. They were kept together during the winter 

 in a large loft over a barn, and were fed with corn, and got 

 occasionally a change of fresh spruce, fir, pine, and juniper 

 sprigs. Early in the spring they were let out into an enclo- 

 sure near the house, protected by a high and close fence, in 

 which were several firs and pines, the common trees of the 

 place. In this enclosure they were never disturbed ; and 

 during the season of incubation no one approached, except 

 the person who laid in the food, which at that time consisted 

 of barley, besides fresh sprigs of the kinds before mentioned. 

 It is indispensable that they should have full liberty, and 

 remain entirely undisturbed, if the hens are to sit and hatch 

 their young. As soon as this had occurred, and the brood 

 were out, they were removed to the yard, which was also 

 roomy, and so closely fenced that the young ones could not 

 escape through ; and within this fence were hedges and a 

 number of bushes planted. Of the old ones, one of the 

 wings were always clipped, to prevent their flying. I have 

 seen several times such broods both of black game and Caper- 



