CAPERCAILZIE AND BLACKCOCK. 309 



the winter, are subjected to the cold until they are thoroughly 

 frozen, and are kept in that state until a full cargo is collected, 

 or at least until a ship sails for London, Hull or some British 

 port. Although perhaps as many as eighty capercailzies may 

 come over in one ship, it is not to be inferred that these birds 

 are so numerous as to allow of this number being killed in the 

 course of a short time in one place. They are generally 

 obtained in very small numbers. Eeach peasant brings in 

 one or two : these are all bought up and " frozen " by one 

 general dealer, who periodically, or as opportunity offers, 

 send them to some poulterer in all-devouring England. The 

 same system is carried on with regard to the Norwegian 

 grouse or ptarmigan ; the facility of freezing the birds enabl- 

 ing the dealers of that country to keep them until they have 

 collected a sufficient number. A capercailzie killed in winter 

 is to my taste scarcely eatable, owing to the strong flavour of 

 turpentine which then pervades the flesh of the bird ; I have, 

 however, eaten one brought over in the year, and it was 

 almost as well-tasted as any of our British game. It is to be 

 hoped that in time we shall again see this noble kind of 

 grouse tolerably common in the extensive plantations of fir 

 and larch which are springing up on many of our Highland 

 mountains which hitherto have been covered only by the 

 heather. 



Both in Scotland and Norway, wherever the capeicailzie 

 and blackcock inhabit the same district, hybrids between 

 them are by no means uncommon. The difference of size 

 between the male capercailzie and the grey-hen is very great; 

 but the female of the former bird is much smaller than the 

 male, being frequently very little larger than a full-grown 

 blackcock. Both species, too being polygamous, their is a 

 greater chance of their breeding together than of hybrids 

 between the blackcock and the grouse, those birds always 

 pairing. The blackcock is a perfect Turk in his domestic 

 establishment, taking to himself as many wives as he can 

 collect together, and keeping them by force of arms against 

 all rivals. 



In the recent reintroduction into Scotland of the capercail- 

 zie a spirited example has been set us ; and there is no doubt 

 than many other species of grouse and game birds might be 

 naturalized in Britain. The ruffed grouse, for instance, and 

 several other species from America, and also pheasants and 

 other birds from the higher ranges of the Himalaya moun- 



