124 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



CAPEKCAILLIE'S NEST. 



continues until he works himself up 

 into an agony of passion. The "play," 

 as this kind of love-making is called on 

 the Continent, ceases at sunrise, but is 

 indulged in again after sundown. 



The nest of the Capercaillie consists 

 of a slight hollow lined with pine needles, 

 bits of dead grass or leaves. It is fre- 

 quently situated at the foot of a tree, 



and by preference one with such a bend 

 in the trunk as will afford the sitting 

 bird shelter from descending rain-drops. 

 It is sometimes situated among tall bil- 

 berries, which provide excellent cover, 

 or made beneath the loppings of felled 

 trees, as in the case of the bird figured 

 in our plate. 



The eggs number from six to eight as 

 a rule, but occasionally as many as twelve 

 or even fourteen have been found. They 

 are of a pale reddish yellow colour, 

 spotted all over with dark orange brown 

 markings. 



If a female brooding her small chicks 

 is disturbed, she flutters round feigning 

 injury, whilst her downlings scatter in 

 all directions and hide. 



The Capercaillie, although such a large 

 bird, appears to be peculiarly liable in 

 the nesting season to the attacks of 

 foxes, crows, and other kinds of vermin, 

 and a Highland keeper informed me on 

 one occasion that numbers of young 

 ones die a natural death when nearly 

 full grown. 



*J7 * , 





