THEIR PARENTAGE. 107 



not a single ' Rackel-Fogel,' so far as I could learn, was 

 cither seen or shot. If, therefore, the popular belief of 

 the Black-Cock being the father of all the ' Rackel-Fogel ' 

 were well founded, the latter ought to have been numerous; 

 but the contrary was the case. 



" Every one who is accustomed to shoot Capercali at 

 the Lek," M. Ealk goes on to say, " must have remarked, 

 that so long as an old cock remained alive, the young ones 

 dare not go near the hens ; but must watch his proceedings 

 from a respectful distance. It is these young cocks, 

 irritated as they are by unsatisfied desires, that propagate 

 the greater part of our ' Rackel-Fogel,' and it is to this 

 cause, and not to the want of Capercali cocks, as now 

 assumed, that their origin is owing." 



And to support his position that a portion at least of 

 the Rackel-Fogel owe their existence to the Capercali cock, 

 M. Falk adds : " Every jagare in our fatherland is fully 

 aware that Eackel-Fogel are hybrids between the Capercali 

 and the Black-Cock. In what I am about to state it is 

 not my purpose in the slightest degree to call this fact in 

 question, but only to gainsay what I consider the too hastily 

 formed opinion as to their all having the Black-Cock for 

 father and the Capercali hen for mother. I contend, on 

 the contrary, that the very reverse is the case, excepting 

 in some rare instances. In this matter the experience of 

 both old and young sportsmen agree. The size and 

 colour of the greater part of the Rackel-Fogel, moreover, 

 are not consistent with their being hybrids between the 

 Black-Cock and the Capercali hen, because amongst 

 animals the young in general take after the father. Now 

 the " Rackel-Hane," which has the Capercali cock for 

 father, is nearly as large as a young Capercali cock, say 

 from six and a half to seven pounds in weight, and would 

 resemble him in appearance, if he had a green breast, a 

 round tail, and a yellow bill ; whilst the offspring of the 



