THE CAPERCAILZIE 201 



capercailzie in the rise of vast fir plantations, which are 

 their favourite place of resort. Some spirited individuals 

 have been endeavouring for these last few years to get 

 up again a stock of this noble bird, and I trust the example 

 will be followed by other sporting proprietors making an 

 effort to perpetuate this king of the grouse species in all 

 localities congenial to him. This bird is still to be found 

 in Norway and Sweden in considerable numbers, and 

 many are exhibited in the London markets. 



Grouse may be domesticated as well as the partridge 

 and pheasant, and as there is such a furor now for the 

 exhibition of all specimens of the feathered tribe, from a 

 Cochin China cock to a canary bird, I think it would 

 well pay to exhibit some of these cocks of the wood, 

 either in the wild or domesticated state. 



It was prophesied by the opponents of the game laws, 

 some few years back, that when the sale of game was 

 legalised poaching would die a natural death. It was 

 also predicted by the peace-making, fraternising Cobdenite 

 school, that upon the repeal of the com laws a cheap loaf 

 would be the inevitable result ; yet neither of these 

 consequences has followed. Poaching is carried on to as 

 great or greater extent than ever it was under the old 

 game laws ; but the reason there are fewer convictions 

 is that small landed proprietors cannot afford to keep up 

 a sufficient staff of men to contend against a large body 

 of poachers, and therefore give up preserving game 

 altogether ; and farmers who, under liberal landlords, 

 have now the privilege, or rather reasonable right, of 

 killing the game raised and fed upon their own lands, 

 kill what they can themselves, leaving the rest, or gener- 

 ally the lion's share, to the poacher, the dread of d, flare-up 

 in the farm-yard operating as an effectual check to deter 



Pf 



