22 THE IIAKEM. 



froth issues from his mouth.* He is worked up into such 

 an agony of passion, as to be all but unconscious of what 

 is passing around him. Many, indeed, assert he is then 

 both deaf and blind ;t and it is at this critical moment, 

 as will shortly be shown, that so many of these noble 

 birds fall to the gun. 



The exertion during the spel has an extraordinary 

 physical effect upon the Capercali, as is evidenced by the 

 frequency find abundance of his droppings; and during 

 his last note, sisnlngen, when, as said, he is worked up 

 into a state of ecstasy, he trembles to such a degree that 

 even the pine, however large, on which he is perched, 

 sensibly vibrates to the touch ! 



On hearing the spel of the cock, the hens assemble at 

 the " lek-stalle " from all parts of the surrounding dis- 

 trict, and alight either on the very tree where he is perched, 

 or other trees in the immediate vicinity, when they make 

 their presence known by their somewhat melancholy lut-lc- 

 ton, or call-note, resembling in degree the words Gock ! 

 Gock ! Gock ! or rather, perhaps, the croak of the raven. 



A little before sunrise, the cock usually descends from 

 his perch and alights on some open spot in the forest close 

 by, where the hens (as seen in the accompanying drawing) 

 collect about him ; and here, during the intervals .of his 



* In parts of Sweden the peasants entertain tin- very singular notion 

 that it in with this froth, which the hens pick up i'mm tin- ground, that 

 they become impregnated. 



f It 18 the commonly received opinion, that during rimtn^BII the eye< of 

 the Capercali are altogether closed. But this is not the rase, it li.-tving 

 been uxcertaincd by ex|>erinients cm tamo birds that, though tln> glolir of 

 the eye is then covered with the nictitating memoi-aiie. ami as a eon-,. 

 ipi -iii-f the bird cannot see, yet tin- eyelashes themsrh es remain mean- 

 while altogether oprn. From tlie .same spasmodic allection its organs of 

 hearing are coiil r.n-te.1 ; whence it heroines deaf; often, indeed, to Mich a 

 degree that i I does not seem to take the slightest notice of even the repot t. 

 of the gun. 



