THE WOOD GROUSE OR CAPERCAILZIE. 133 



" The first importation of these capercailzies ar- 

 rived from Sweden about the end of the year 1827, 

 or early in January 1828. It consisted of a cock 

 and hen, but the hen unfortunately died after reach- 

 ing Montrose Bay. As the male bird alone arrived 

 at Braemar, the experiment was judiciously tried of 

 putting a common barn-door fowl into his apartment 

 during the spring and summer of 1 828. The result 

 was, that she laid several eggs, which were placed 

 under other hens, but from these eggs only a single 

 bird was hatched, and when it was first observed it 

 was found lying dead. It was, however, an evident 

 mule, or hybrid, and shewed such unequivocal marks 

 of the capercailzie character as could not be mistaken. 

 " The second importation likewise consisted of a 

 cock and hen, and arrived safely in this country in 

 January or February 1 829. The female began to 

 lay in the ensuing April, and laying in general an 

 egg every alternate day, she eventually deposited 

 about a couple of dozen. She shewed, however, so 

 strong a disposition to break and eat them, that she 

 required to be narrowly watched at the time of lay- 

 ing, for the purpose of having them removed, for 

 otherwise she would have destroyed the whole. In 

 fact, she did succeed in breaking most of them, but 

 eight were obtained uninjured. These were set 

 under a common hen, but only one bird was hatched, 

 and it died soon after. In the spring of 1830, the 

 hen capercailzie laid eight eggs. Of these she broke 

 only one, and, settling in a motherly manner on the 



