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Mr. Martin Cuningham :



THE CAPERCAILLIE AT HOME.


By Martin Cuningham.


On receiving the Editor’s letter, asking' for some contributions

to the pages of the Avicultural Magazine, I thought the following

very rough notes on the Capercaillie, in his home in the vast pine

forests of Siberia, might prove of some small interest.


An adult cock Capercaillie in the spring is, in my humble

estimation, one of the finest sights of the bird-world; my first

acquaintance with him was at this time of the year. I had taken a

peasant with me who knew the haunts of these birds, and we started

in the evening so as to get to the forest in the dark. Driving through

the pine forest we several times startled some of these birds, who

went creaking through the pine tops. The least noise, though quite

dark and long after roosting-time, starts these birds flying at once.


In the morning, an hour or two before sunrise, they begin to

call, and it is then one has to do the stalking to get near them, as

whilst calling they hear nothing, from which comes their Russian

name of “ Gluchar ” (the deaf one). When he stops you have to

do the same, as he hears the least noise when not calling, and this

sudden stopping generally means being caught with one foot in the

air or else in some similar and very uncomfortable attitude. When

you do see him, it is well worth all the trouble, with his neck frill

and tail standing out stiff against the brightening light. The call is

very piercing and can be heard a long way off ; it is a challenge I

think, as I have never been able to find a hen anywhere near. When

he is on the ground then you can be certain that there are hens

about. He then does his dancing, with tail, neck, and wings spread

out to their utmost limits. Taking several steps forward, he jumps

into the air, and coming dowm again makes a loud, booming noise,

not unlike a drum heard at a distance.


Only once have I ever seen two males fighting, and this gave

me the first opportunity of having one of these birds alive. They

were hard at it when I first saw them and, though naturally the

shyest of birds, took not the least notice of me. I caught one in

my hands, and it was several minutes before the other realized that

there was a stranger near and solemnly stalked off. My capture



