i;8 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



full breeding plumage that I have ever seen or 

 can hope to see. All those who saw him said 

 that he must have been one of the giants of his 

 race. The bill of that bird was as large as that 

 of a small golden eagle, and it looked quite as 

 dangerous. 



The hen capercaillie is very small in comparison 

 with the cock-bird; if the plumage was not richer 

 than that of the grey hen, the female of the black- 

 cock, it might easily be taken for a rather large 

 specimen of that bird. As a game-bird for the 

 table, opinions vary about its merits. I have eaten 

 capercaillie with which I certainly could find no 

 fault, but if a common barn-door fowl had been 

 on the table, I should have gone for the fowl. He 

 is a noble bird to look at, and when he plays up to 

 his sober-coloured beauties, he is most interesting. 

 I think that it is a fact to be proud of, from the 

 natural history point of view, that the cock of the 

 wood can be found once more in our midst. 



The black-grouse, which comes next in importance 

 to the capercaillie, is to be found more or less in 

 any wild grounds that are suited to it. In some 



