THE WOOD GROUSE, OE CAPEKCALLIE. 53 



whicli they are passionately fond. Their flights are but very short, 

 and if there are any trees in the way they commonly alight upon 

 the branches. In the forest the capercallie does not always present 

 an easy mark, for, dipping down from the pines nearly to the 

 ground, as is frequently the case, they are often almost out of dis- 

 tance before one can properly take aim. No. 1 or 2 shot may 

 answer very well, at short range, to kill the hens ; but for the cocks 

 the sportsman should be provided with much larger. Towards the 

 commencement and durmg the continuance of the winter, the 

 capercallies are generally in packs ; these, which are usually com- 

 posed wholly of cocks (the hens keeping apart), do not separate 

 until the approach of spring. These packs, which are said to con- 

 tain fifty or a hundred birds, usually hold to the sides of the 

 numerous lakes and morasses, with v^hich the northern forests 

 abound ; and to stalk the same in the winter time vnth a good rifle, 

 is no ignoble amusement. Among other expedients resorted to in 

 the northern forests for the destruction of the capercallie is the f9l- 

 lowing : — " During the autumnal months, after flushing and_ dis- 

 persing the brood, people place themselves in ambusli, and imitate 

 the cry of the old or young birds, as circumstances may require. 

 By thus attracting them to the spot, tliey are often enabled to shoot 

 the whole brood in succession. * * *. The capercallie is shot in 

 the night-tune by torch-light. This plan, which is said to be very 

 destructive, is confined to the southern provinces of Sweden, for in 

 the more northern parts of the country I never heard of its being 

 adopted. In Smaland and Ostrogothland this is said to be effected 

 in the following manner :— Towards nightfall people watch the last 

 flight of the capercallie before they go to roost. Ihe direction they 

 have taken in the forest is then carefully marked by means of a 

 prostrate tree, or by one which is felled expressly for the purpose. 

 After dark, two men start in pursuit of the birds ; one of them is 

 provided with a gun, the other with a long pole, to either end of 

 which a flamlDcau is attached. The man with the flambeaux now 

 goes in advance, the other remaining at the prostrate tree, to keep 

 it and the two lights in an exact line with each other ; by this 

 curious contrivance they cannot well go astray in the forest. Thus 

 ihey proceed, occasionally halting and taking a frcsli mark, until 

 ihey come near, to the spot where they may have some reason to 

 suppose the bii'ds are roosting. They now carefully examine the 

 trees, and when they discover the objects of their pursuit, which 

 are said stupidly to remain gazing at the fire blazing beneath, they 

 shoot them at their leisure. Should there be capercalHes m the 

 same tree, however, it is always necessary to shoot those in the 

 lower branches in the first instance ; for unless one of these birds 

 falls on its companions, it is said the rest will never move, and in 

 consequence the whole of them may be readily killed." 



There have various attempts been made of late years to introduce 

 these birds into Great Britain. The late Mr. Powell Buxton and 

 * Lloyd's I'reia Sporta ia Norway and Sweden. 



