MORE ABOUT GAME-BIRDS. 129 



and strong hooked bill were given to the caper- 

 cailzie for other purposes than merely picking up 

 ant-eggs, nipping off shoots, or gathering forest 

 berries in their season. The lemming, that mouse- 

 like little animal, swarms in the forests of Northern 

 Europe, where the capercailzie is most at home, 

 and there are other small creatures on which the 

 wood-grouse uses at times that strong bill of his. 



All game-birds, from the capercailzie to the little 

 quail, are courageous to a degree. Their apparent 

 shyness is only an instinctive habit of self-preser- 

 vation. I have sometimes seen game-birds engaged 

 in fatal duels which were fought out bravely by 

 the vanquished to the final gasp, when he expired, 

 game to the last. 



There has been much minute examination on 

 the subject, but even now there remains some slight 

 doubt as to the exact date of the disappearance 

 of the last capercailzie native of Scotland. But 

 this is not very important, and does not alter the 

 fact that the bird was killed off and was introduced 

 again. J. A. Harvie - Brown, quoting Professor 

 Newton and Mr H. Gurney, junior, states in ref- 

 erence to Denovan's sale catalogue for 1818, that 



1 



