106 THEIR, PARENTAGE. 



testify to the like fact as regards the Capercali cock and 

 the Grey-Hen ; and a second reason is, that in districts 

 where the Caporcali cocks are all but extirpated at the 

 Lek, the Rackel-Fogel are greatly on the increase, the 

 inference to be drawn from which is that the Capercali 

 hens, being thus deprived of their conjugal rites, submit, 

 from necessity rather than choice, to the embraces of the 

 Black-Cock. 



On the first of Nilsson's objections too much stress 

 ought not, perhaps, to be laid, for we must take into 

 consideration that the Black-Cock always carries on love 

 affairs in the open, and exposed to the view of every one, 

 whilst the Capercali, on the contrary, holds his Lek in 

 the depths of the forest, where his pairing once in a time 

 with the Grey-Hen may possibly escape observation. 



The professor's second reason, again, founded on the 

 assumption that in districts where the Capercali cocks arc 

 so mercilessly shot down, the " Rackel-Fogel " are greatly 

 on the increase, would seem to be invalidated by M. Falk, 

 who says : 



" It is a well-known fact, that fifty years ago and 

 we need not go farther back when the Wermeland 

 forests abounded with Capercali, the ' Rackel-Fogel ' were 

 found in about the same numbers as at present." 

 A?ain : " I know of several instances in which these birds 



O 



have been met with in well-preserved districts full of 

 Capercali." . . . Furthermore : " Some years since, 

 when little or no protection was afforded to the Capercali 

 cocks at the Lek, and when they, from the constant 

 warfare carried on against them, were all but exterminated, 



together witli :i I'.hiek I'oek tlmt \v;is |,eivhed on her l.;i.-k, smilingly in 

 the :iet ol' i,;iirin_'. were killed I iv a IM-USHI! :it one .-md the same shot. 

 Tin- < ':i|>re.ili hen \\el._died >i\ ]M.iiii.l* and ;i half: the ISlaek Coek three 



