CAPERCAILLIE 11 



their line of flight takes them across gorges and valleys, 

 which, of course, puts them altogether out of range, and 

 for this reason some woods which are full of birds are shot 

 annually with poor success. 



As a general rule, in Capercaillie-shooting one's eyes 

 will be found to be most useful, and one has to keep every 

 sense of observation strung to the highest pitch to detect 

 the approach of the birds. It is this, perhaps, that makes 

 the sport of Caper and Blackgame driving in cover so 

 intensely fascinating ; for all the other species of game 

 give you due warning of their approach, or resort to open 

 land, where they can be seen advancing for a considerable 

 distance. It often happens that, although the shooter may 

 have been watching most intently to his front, an old cock, 

 nearly as big as a turkey, has slipped past him like a ghost 

 within a few yards, without the shooter, who, perhaps, is 

 keenness itself, having even observed him. This does not 

 happen once or twice, but frequently ; and it is very 

 amusing to hear the different comments made by the guns, 

 the drive being over, as to their respective ill-luck at not 

 seeing anything. On one occasion a friend of mine was 

 very anxious to slay a cock Caper : after several unsuc- 

 cessful beats, where he said no birds had come forward to 

 him at all, w r e put in a pass on a road intersecting two 

 woods. There we knew it would be a perfect certainty that 

 the birds would cross. The beat having commenced, in 

 glancing down the road I had the satisfaction of seeing first 

 a cock and then a hen go gliding up to him ; but of neither 

 of these did he take the slightest notice, and was quite 

 pleased when he killed the next bird that came to him, being 

 perfectly unaware that any others had passed him at all. 



