14 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
af ENG 3 
Photo by HW’, F. Piggott] 
PTARMIGAN 
Leighton Buxxoro 
In winter these birds don a snow-white livery 
with the red grouse, which is sufficiently protected by 
its ordinary dress. 
The largest and perhaps the most interesting of 
all the European game-birds are the CAPERCALLIES, 
; 
Photo ly UW. F, Piggott) [Levghron Buscssard 
COMMON PARTRIDGE 
This is the commoner and more esteemed of the twa species 
of British partridges 
The RED GROUSE is the only game-bird which 
is not found outside the British Islands. It is the 
bird which perhaps heads the list in the estimation 
of British sportsmen, who travel north in hundreds 
every year for the pleasure of the sport it affords. 
{t is furthermore remarkable for the wonderful variety 
of the seasonal plumages. Both sexes change their 
dress twice during the year — the female in spring and 
summer, and the male in autumn and winter. Its 
Continental relative, the RYPER, has no less than 
three changes — spring, summer, and winter. For the 
last season a white dress is adopted, to correspond with 
its snowy surroundings. The winters in the British 
Islands 
are neither 
lo@s ae ae 
enough 
nor severe 
enough 
to render 
Sa ttt. 7e> bch 
change 
necessary 
or CAPER- 
CAILZIES. 
T che se 
British 
Ss pPecres 
1S) adlise fn gg ag es 
known as Photo by HW. F. Piggort] [ Leighten Buxscard 
the Cock— CAPERCALLIE 
O F-TH E- This cvas once a common British bird. The present breed 
was introduced some years ago, the native birds 
having been exterminated 
Woop. He 
is a hand- 
some black bird, nearly as big as a turkey, weighing 
from 9 to 17 lbs. 
In the spring the capercallie, like the blackcock, 
indulges in a remarkable “ love-song,” or “play,” 
as it is called. With outstretched neck, tail expanded 
like a fan, drooping wings, and ruffled feathers, he 
commences his call, “ peller, peller, peller,” increasing 
in rapidity every moment, till he works himself up 
into a perfect frenzy. At this time he is perfectly 
unconscious of all around him, and poachers, knowing 
this, sometimes take advantage to creep up and 
shoot him. On hearing the cock, the hens assemble 
from all parts of the forest. The male then descends 
from the tree to the ground, when “he and _ his 
