12 I'AKTIAI. MM.KATIONS. 



and Black-Cocks are very small and lean, and such the 

 fowlers call FI;ill- i'o<il<n-, or migratory birds. In seasons 

 when game is scarce none of these are to be seen." 



These periodical wanderings of the Capercali are much 

 speculated upon by naturalists and others in Scandinavia, 

 a matter on which I myself am unable to throw any light ; 

 for during my sojourn in the northern forests I never 

 remember observing any very sensible increase or diminu- 

 tion in the number of these birds, at least not to an v 

 greater extent than might readily be acounted for by good 

 or bad seasons. 



By some their migrations are attributed to extensive 

 fires in the forest, or to great droughts, which drive tin- 

 birds away from their usual breeding-grounds ; by other-, 

 again, to unusually heavy snow-storms, or extreme severity 

 of the weather, which causes them to retreat to more 

 sheltered situations. There are, however, those who 

 maintain that more males than females are always born, 

 and that the supernumeraries are therefore compelled to 

 seek for mates elsewhere.* 



But be the causes of these partial migrations what 

 they may, the subject cannot but be of interest to the 



implying Mountain Capercali ; and Stcller mentions a similar variety 

 met with near the mouth of the river Ud which flows into tin- S". :i of 

 Okhotsk :iii(l liy the Yakutos similarly denominated. 



* " From experience I have found," MyS the author of 'Tidskrift for 

 n-e,' "that both Ca]K-ivali and I'.laek < Wk l,n>o.l- contain more male-, 

 limn females. If such is also tin- MM in Norrlaud, tin- initiations in 

 question are of fa>y explanation. Instinct drives tin- corks in exi 

 to seek for liens in other districts, tor ,-\ample, in Ncrikc and So.ler 

 Miaiiland, where, iiwiii^ to the increasing inimlMT of |.oaclicr>. (he cock- 

 are all destroyed 88 Soon us the pairing seas.. n coinineiices in (he spring. 

 In spite of tl.is, ..tl.er males make (heir appearance there the following 

 \,.:,i. It i- prolfal.le that nature in this wax pi ' >\ ides, from I he super 

 al.undanee of the iioitliern pr.'xinces, a c.iiiipen-at ion for the liad manage 

 in.-nt in (he south; otlmwi-e these- l.ird-. still not so uncommon lierc 

 would I"- \lermin.i- 



