CAPERCAILLIE. 333 



afterwards caught him, with a view of carrying him to the 

 Ofwer Jagmastare. At first the bird remained quiet ; but 

 he soon began to tear and peck at the man so effectually, 

 that the latter was compelled to restore him to his 

 liberty. However, after a few months he totally disap- 

 peared, having probably fallen into the hands of a less 

 timid bird-catcher." 



Mr. Lloyd says, " The Capercali occasionally breed with 

 the Black Grouse, and the produce are in Sweden called 

 RacJcleJianen ; these partake of the leading characters of both 

 species, but their size and colour greatly depend upon whe- 

 ther they have been produced between the Capercali cock 

 and the Grey hen, or vice versa" Females of these hybrids 

 appear to be much more rare than males ; but neither sex, 

 according to Mr. Lloyd, are common : he had, however, 

 himself shot one, and his sporting friend, Mr. Falk, had 

 shot two. Among the quantities of Capercaillie which are 

 received every season in the London market, and are said 

 to come from Norway, the male birds of this hybrid are 

 occasionally to be found. Within the last ten years I have 

 certainly seen as many as seven specimens at the shop of 

 one poulterer, four of which were in beautiful plumage, 

 and were purchased by Mr. Leadbeater, Mr. Gould, or 

 others, to preserve for collections. This hybrid appears to 

 be well known in those countries which are inhabited by 

 the Black Grouse as well as the Capercaillie, and has been 

 named by various authors Tetrao medius, Tetrao hylridus, 

 and Urogallus hybridus : some considering the bird a dis- 

 tinct species, and others only a hybrid. There is even 

 reason to believe that it formerly existed in Scotland, con- 

 temporary with the Capercaillie. Mr. G. T. Fox, in his 

 Synopsis of the contents of the Newcastle Museum, publish- 

 ed in 1827, quotes the Tunstall MS. at page 78, in the 



