434 



SHOOTING. 



of this bird, as it exists in Sweden, Mr. Lloyd says,* 

 " The favourite haunts of the capercali are exten- 

 sive fir woods ; in coppices or small cover he is 

 seldom or never found. The principal food of the 

 capercali, when in a state of nature, consists of the 

 leaves of the Scotch fir ; he very rarely, however, 

 feeds upon those of the spruces ; he also eats juniper 

 berries, cranberries, blaeberries, and other berries 

 common to the Northern forests ; and occasionally 

 also, in the winter time, the buds of the birch, &c. 

 The young capercali feed principally at first on 

 ants, worms, insects, &c." 



It was the felling of the timber, aided, perhaps, 

 by the cross-bow, which is not ill-adapted to the 

 purpose, that exterminated this primeval habitant 

 of the old Caledonian forests. Some years since 

 an attempt was made to re-introduce this bird to 

 its ancient haunts in Scotland, but without success. 

 "It is a pity," continues Mr. Lloyd, " that at- 

 tempts are not made once more to introduce the 

 capercali into the United Kingdom, for, if the ex- 

 periment was undertaken with judgment, it would 

 most probably be attended with success ; the cli- 

 mate, soil &c. in Scotland, at least, not being very 

 dissimilar, in many respects, to the south of Sweden. 

 In Scotland, besides, independently of the natural 

 forests, there are now considerable tracks of land 

 planted with .pines, from which trees, when the 

 o-round is covered with snow, those birds obtain 



* Field Spcrts of the North of Europe. 



