THE OOLOGIST. 



37 



unlucky individual in a populous district, 

 that, as Dr. C. further remarks, employs 

 most of his time in endeavoring to save his 

 skin. Scarce birds are naturally shy, and 

 this is iparticularly noticeable in comparison 

 to an abundance of other species, all things 

 being equal. Where there is plenty of food, 

 all birds are more or less shy, but when a 

 scarcity of food is prevalent, their shyness 

 is overcome by hvmger and they evince a 

 disregard for objects that they would other- 

 wise fly from. Natural shyness is over- 

 come by one's constant indifference in pass- 

 ing a bird, but the moment a gun is point- 

 ed and fired at it, if unsuccessful, the bird 

 deems it a duty and a necessity to keep out 

 of its reach thereafter. There are certain 

 birds whose proverbial wariness cannot be 

 overcome. Of this class are the Ardeidce 

 or Herons, probably the most wary and 

 timid birds known. Their sharp faculties 

 of sight and hearing render them a difficult 

 bird to approach, and though they may be 

 undisturbed for years, the same sense of 

 self-preservation seems to compel them to 

 flight on the slightest suspicion of wrong. 



FoTetgrh cS^^^^- 



The Capercali. 



{Tetrao tirogallus.) 



BY F. J. DAVIS. 



fN looking over my articles on foreign 

 birds, I find I have been neglectful of 

 the foreign game birds, and it is not 

 imfitting that 1 should commence my men- 

 tion of them with this, the most magnificent 

 of all the Grouse. The crown of the head 

 is of a blackish hue ; the nape deep gray, 

 marked with undulating black lines ; back 

 pale black, dotted with gray and reddish 

 brown ; tail black, dotted with white ; breast 

 glossy steel green, the remaining under 

 plumage spotted with white and black. 

 The eye is brown, encircled with a bright 

 red skin. Beak grayish-white. This bird 



is from twenty-six to twenty-nine inches in 

 length, with an extent of fi'om fifty-two to 

 fifty-six inches. 



The Capercali inhabits nearly all of Nor- 

 Avay and Sweden, as far north as the pine 

 tree flourishes — very near the North Cape. 

 They are less abundant in the southern 

 provinces of Sweden. Their favorite haunts 

 are deep fir forests, and they are seldom 

 found in small covers. It is stated that 

 those breeding on the sides of mountains or 

 in the more open country, descend to lower 

 ground in the event of deep snow. On the 

 contrary, such as breed in the larger for- 

 ests remain there all the year. The prin- 

 cipal food of this bird consists of the leaves 

 and tender shoots of the Scotch fir, rarely 

 of the spruce. They also eat juniper and 

 blue berries and various other berries found 

 in the northern forests. Occasionally, like 

 oiu" RnfFed Grouse, they consume birch 

 buds ; the young subsist upon worms and 

 insects. Like many other Grouse, the 

 Capercali has a habit of calling the females 

 in the spring. Often when the ground is 

 covered with snow, the cock takes his po- 

 sition on a pine and commences his love 

 songs, as "play," as it is called, for the 

 purpose of calling the hens. This contin- 

 ues from the dawn of day until after sun- 

 rise, and from a little after sunset till dark- 

 ness sets in ; the time however depends more 

 or less upon the state of the weather and 

 the advancement of the season. Whilst he 

 is playing, his wings droop, his neck is 

 stretched out, tail spiead like a fan, feath- 

 ers ruffled, and his whole appearance re- 

 sembles an angry turkey cock. His call 

 resembles at first the words peller, peller, 

 which he repeats at intervals and increases 

 in rapidity as he proceeds, until after about 

 a minute or so, he gulps down the last few 

 notes and finishes by drawing in his breath. 

 During the latter part of the performance, 

 which lasts but a few seconds, he appears 

 to be worked up in a perfect agony of pas- 

 sion. On hearing the call of the cock, the 

 hens utter a cry sounding like a guttural 

 utterance of grocA;, gock, gock, and assemble 

 from all parts of the forest, at which the 



