176 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



but he feeds largely on the tender tips and shoots 

 of the Scotch fir-tree, as well as on the wild berries 

 peculiar to fir regions, and the green tips from the 

 varied undergrowth, with insects and worms. The 

 bill of the bird is a most formidable one, fashioned 

 more like that of a bird of prey than that of a 

 grouse; of this he can make good use to defend 

 himself when necessary. 



When the ancient forests were destroyed, at least 

 the greater part of them, in order to kill off the 

 wolves that were so numerous in the time of Queen 

 Mary, it had been necessary in the winter to pro- 

 vide shelters where those who were forced to travel 

 by night could take refuge from them, the caper- 

 caillie with other forest creatures suffered. Those 

 mighty forests were destroyed principally by fire; 

 a small portion of some of the older ones remain, 

 just enough to show of what mighty trees they 

 were at one time composed. Red-deer, boar, wolves, 

 foxes, martins, roes, wild-cat, as well as the birds, 

 from the goshawk to the capercaillie, had to shift 

 their quarters. And besides this, early invaders 

 fired some of them in order to root out those 

 determined inhabitants of the land who had taken 



