PROCEEDINGS THEIIE. 21 



The spel of the Capercali, which consists, so to say, 

 of three notes, is of a rather singular nature. An attempt, 

 though an imperfect one, has been made to imitate it by 

 the following words, viz. : First note, Pcllep ! Pellep ! 

 Pellep ! Second note, Klickop ! Third note, Hede ! 

 Hede!llede!Hede! The first note, Pellep, called 

 knappningen (pi. knappningar), is said to resemble the 

 sound of two dry sticks struck together. The second, 

 Klickop, named klunken, has been likened to a sort of 

 gulp in the throat, the noise made when the tongue is 

 smacked against the palate, or when a cork is drawn out 

 of a bottle. The third, Hede, termed sisningen, has been 

 compared with the sucking-in of the breath, as it were, 

 or the sound caused by sharpening an edged tool on a 

 whetstone. The giving utterance to these several notes 

 may altogether occupy from two to three minutes ; and, 

 provided the bird be not in any way disturbed, he almost 

 immediately afterwards commences repeating them, and 

 continues to do so almost without ceasing. 



His spel is not loud, and, if there be wind stirring 

 at the time, cannot be heard, at least by the inexperi- 

 enced, at any considerable distance. In the most favour- 

 able weather, indeed, it is not audible at more than one 

 hundred and fifty to two hundred paces. 



Between the kndppningar the first note of his spel - 

 there is usually at the commencement some little interval, 

 but presently these follow so close on each other as to be 

 all but continuous. Whilst the kndppningar lasts, the 

 bird is wide awake, and not {infrequently turns his head 

 from side to side, as if to look out for the enemy ; and 

 this, to a certain extent, is also the case when he sounds 

 his second note, klnnken ! But during his third and 

 last note, sisningen, his head, is thrown backwards, his 

 neck moves to and fro, wave fashion ; his expanded tail 

 stands at something like right angles to his body, and 



