10 THE Bt)Y AM) CAPEKCAM. 



informed by M. Roman, " a youth of about twelve years of 

 age, from Willingsberg, captured an old Capercali cock with 

 his hands. It occurred in the following manner : tin- boy, 

 who was catching crayfish in a stream, observed the bird 

 promenading amongst some heather on a little eminence 

 close by, and he immediately conceived the idea that he 

 would endeavour to make it his prize. For this purpose 

 he crept stealthily up the side of the knoll, but on reach- 

 ing the top, what was his surprise to find _ZV//V>, with 

 head and tail erect, and feathers ruffled, as if in great 

 anger, coming 'full tilt' against him" as seen in the 

 accompanying drawing by M. Korner. " lie nevertheless 

 mustered courage, and tranquilly awaited the onset of the 

 foe. The contest was severe, but in the end the youth 

 came off victorious, the Capercali for its temerity paying 

 the penalty of its life." * 



The Capercali thus divesting itself of its natural 

 shyness, and fearlessly approaching people, has occasion- 

 ally given rise in Sweden to the notion that it is actually 

 "possessed." 



"About this time last year," Lieutenant Jack relates, 

 " whilst the cottager Anders Pehrsson, of Bengtsbo, in 

 the province of Wcstmanland, was collecting brushwood 

 in the forest, a Capercali cock, without showing the 

 smallest apprehension, came and alighted on the ground 

 immediately near him. The old belief in Tru/t-Fof//"/; 

 or enchanted birds, once so common, and which is still 



* May not tin- " ]>eo].!e-hatilii: " < 'aj.eirali s]>ken of al.ove l.e such as 

 have esea].e.l IV.. in eoiilineiiieiit ! <>r may they not have been sei/ed with 

 a ~|.e.-i.'s of mailing-, as \v..ul.l at times .teem to lie tlir ease uitli other 

 liirds ( In Seaiidina\ iali Adventures,'' for install, v, I have related that 



o ic o.-.-asioii a goshawk furiously attaeke.l the lior.-es harnessed to a 



gentleOUUl'ft OUriage j and nnlv r.-r.-ntU \ve read in the Kuirli^h pa|iers of 

 a |K.i,r :,'iil Keini; a-- ailed and most enielly maltreated al.oiit the face l.\ I 

 rook ! 



