GALLING. TETRAONID^. 



with whitish, so as to impart a grey hue ; the 

 breast is of a fine dark green ; the quills chestnut- 

 red; the tail-coverts, which are lengthened, run 

 down in two series, and are tipped with white ; 

 the tail itself is black. 



The leaves and young shoots of the Scotch fir, 

 the berries of the juniper, cranberries, &c., with 

 worms and insects, constitute the common food of 

 the Capercailzie ; in winter he eats also the buds 

 of the birch. 



" In the spring," observes Mr. Lloyd, in his 

 Field Sports of the North of Europe, " and often 

 when the ground is still deeply covered with 

 snow, the cock stations himself on a pine, and 

 commences his love- song, or play, as it is termed 

 in Sweden, to attract the hens about him. This 

 is usually from the first dawn of day to sunrise, 

 or from a little after sunset until it is quite dark. 

 During his play the neck of the Capercali is 

 stretched out, his tail is raised and spread like 

 a fan, his wings droop, his feathers are ruffled up, 

 and in short he much resembles in appearance 

 an angry Turkey-cock. He begins his play with 

 a call something resembling the wor&peller,<peller, 

 peller ; these sounds he repeats at first at some 

 little intervals ; but as he proceeds they increase 

 in rapidity, until at last, and after perhaps the 

 lapse of a minute or so, he makes a sort of gulp 

 in his throat, and finishes by drawing in his 

 breath. During the continuance of this latter 

 process, which only lasts a few seconds, the head 

 of the Capercali is thrown up, his eyes are par- 

 tially closed, and his whole appearance would 

 denote that he is worked up into an agony of 

 passion. 



