42 THE GAME BIEDS AND WILD FOWL 



of ascertaining their truth. That it may do considerable damage to small forests 

 where it may chance to be abundant is by no means improbable ; the crop of one 

 bird shot in November containing the extraordinary number of two hundred and 

 sixty-six shoots and buds, besides a large handful of leaves, of the Scotch fir! 

 For furthur information on this important subject, as well as for full particulars 

 concerning the introduction of this species into Scotland, I must refer my 

 readers to Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown's exhaustive treatise entitled The Capercaillie 

 in Scotland, a book that should be on the shelves of every sportsman and naturalist. 



Nidification. — The Capercaillie becomes most interesting, perhaps, to the 

 naturalist in the breeding season. It is a polygamous species, and like most of 

 such birds, indulges in various grotesque and interesting habits during that period. 

 This portion of their economy has been most carefully studied and described bj' 

 Lloyd, and from his important work on Scandinavian Game Birds the following 

 particulars have been obtained. Pairing commences in April and continues through 

 May. The male chooses some point of vantage in his haunts, generally a pine 

 tree in the more open part of the forest, or a huge piece of rock with a level 

 surface. Here he takes his stand in the morning just before sunrise, and again 

 in the evening directly after sunset, and from his perch on a bare or dead branch 

 of the tree, or the summit of the rock, he puffs out his plumage, and vdth extended 

 neck, drooping wings, and erected tail spread out to the fullest extent, he begins 

 to utter his "spel," or love music. This consists of three very distinct notes, 

 pellep, Mickop, and hede, the first and last several times repeated. These antics 

 and notes occupy a period of several minutes, and are often repeated at once, 

 during which time the bird works himself up to such a pitch of amorous excite- 

 ment as to be utterly oblivious of impending danger. The natives take advantage 

 of this, and by advancing during each " spel " or ecstasy, creep up within gunshot. 

 The females respond to this curious exhibition by uttering a harsh croak, advancing 

 to attract his attention, until he finally descends from his perch and pairs with 

 each in turn. These "laking places" are frequented every spring with great 

 regularity by numerous cocks and still more numerous hens, and are usually all 

 in the same neighbourhood of their haunts. Much fighting takes place, the 

 young and weaker birds being driven out, and not allowed to "spel" or "play." 

 The love notes are often uttered so loudly as to cause the tree on which the bird 

 is sitting sensibly to vibrate to the touch, and may be heard for a long distance 

 through the silent forest. A second "spel" is said to take place towards the end 

 of September or early in October. The female takes all charge of the eggs and 

 young. She makes a scanty nest amongst the bilberry wires and heather in a 

 clearing of the forest, merely a hollow scraped out, and lined with a few dry leaves 

 or scraps of grass. The eggs are from eight to twelve in number, the smaller 

 clutches being the produce of the younger hens. They are brownish-buff in 

 ground-colour, thickly spotted with reddish-brown, and a few larger markings of 



