THE WOOD GROUSE OR CAPERCAILZIE. 139 



also not so difficult. Neither is the season attended 

 to, for in Norway particularly, the female is some- 

 times shot from her nest. 



In addition to what has been given of the habits 

 of this noble bird, it will be interesting to insert the 

 following from Lloyd's " Northern Field Sports." 



" The capercailzie is often domesticated in Swe- 

 den ; indeed, at both Uddeholm and Risater, as well 

 as in other places, I have known these birds to be 

 kept for a long period in aviaries built for the pur- 

 pose. These were so perfectly tame as to feed out 

 of the hand. Their food principally consisted of oats 

 and of the leaves of the Scotch fir, large branches of 

 which were usually introduced into their cages once 

 or more in the course of the week. They were also 

 supplied with abundance of native berries, when pro- 

 curable. They were amply provided at all times 

 with water and sand : the latter of which was of a 

 rather coarse quality, and both were changed pretty 

 frequently. 



" In farther corroboration of the fact, that the ca- 

 percailzie will breed when in confinement, I make 

 the following quotation from Mr Nilsson's work. 

 That gentleman's authority was the Ofwer .Director 

 af Uhr ; and the birds alluded to were at a forge in 

 the province of Dalecarlia. 



" ' They were kept together during the winter in 

 a large loft over a barn, and were fed with corn, and 

 got occasionally a change of fresh spruce, fir, pine, 

 and juniper sprigs. Early in the spring, they were 



