43 CAPERCALZIE SHOOTING. 



The belly is black, with white spots at the centre ; 

 the breast feathers of the glossiest bright green-black, 

 interwoven so closely and finely, as to present a 

 breastwork to the enemy, that would turn ordinary 

 shot from its well guarded surface. The side and 

 flank feathers are of a ground-colour, freckled mth 

 black. The tarsi are plumed, the feathers of 

 brownish-grey hue, long behind, of loose texture like 

 the moor-fowls, twice the length of the hhid-toes which 

 they hide. A fine sample of this beautiful bird 

 might measure from two feet ten inches to three feet, 

 at its full extent. The female is found greatly infe- 

 rior in size. Different specimens brought under our 

 notice have varied, however, in length. Jardine 

 speaks of one about three and twenty inches long, 

 which sat but seventeen inches high ; while a cock in 

 the same cargo would have sat upon his perch on a 

 branch of a tree full two feet above it. The female 

 is marked similarly to the grey hen, only its hues 

 are more distinct. It is of an ochreous bro^^ai, 

 broadly and clearly barred with black, while the ex- 

 tremities decline into paler tints. The breast is a 

 rich brownish orange colour, here and there freclded 

 over where the black bars intervene. The bill is of 

 a dirtier hue than in the male bird; a dark horn 

 colour, growing paler at the tip. The females, we 

 have ourselves seen, have all been smaller than the 

 specimen spoken of by Jardine. 



In days of yore the ancient forests of Scotland, 

 and the sister kingdom, were abundantly supplied 



