22 CAPERCAILLIE. 



Sweden, to attract the hens about hirn. This is usually from the first dawn of day to 

 sunrise, or from a little after sunset until it is quite dark. The time, however, more 

 or less, depends upon the mildness of the weather, and the advanced state of the season. 



During his play, the neck of the Capercaillie is stretched out, his tail is raised, and 

 spread like a fan, his wings droop, his feathers are ruffled up, and, in short, he much 

 resembles in appearance an angry Turkey Cock. He begins his play with a call something 

 resembling Teller, peller, peller;' these sounds he repeats at first at some little intervals, 

 but as he proceeds they increase in rapidity, until -at last, and after perhaps the lapse 

 of a minute or so, he makes a sort of 'gulp' in his throat, and finishes with sucking in, 

 as it were, his breath. During the continuance of this latter process, which only lasts a 

 few seconds, the head of the Capercaillie is thrown up, his eyes are partially closed, and 

 his' whole appearance would denote that he is worked up into an- agony of passion. At 

 this time his faculties are much absorbed, and it is not difficult to approach him; many, 

 indeed, and among the rest Mr. Nilsson, assert that the Capercaillie can then neither 

 see nor hear; and that he is not aware of the report or flash of a gun, even if fired 

 immediately near to him. To this assertion I cannot agree; for, though it is true that 

 if the Capercaillie has not been much disturbed previously, he is not easily frightened 

 during the last note, if so it may be termed, of his play ; should the contrary be the 

 case, he is constantly on the watch, and I have reason to know that, even at that time, 

 if noise be male, or that a person exposes himself incautiously, he takes alarm, and 

 immediately flies. 



The play of the Capercaillie is not loud; and should there be wind stirring in the 

 trees at the time, it cannot be heard at any considerable distance. Indeed, during the 

 calmer and most favourable weather, it is not audible at more than two or three 

 hundred puces. 



On hearing the call of the cock, the hens, whose cry in some degree resembles the 

 croak of the Kaven, or rather, perhaps, the sounds 'Cock, gock, gock,' assemble from nil 

 parts of the surrounding forest. The male bird now descends from the eminence on 

 which he Avas perched, to the ground, where he and his female friends join company. 



The Capercaillie does not play indiscriminately over the forest; but he has his certain 

 stations, (Tjaderlek, which may perhaps be rendered his playing-ground;) these, however, 

 are often of some little extent. Here, unless very much persecuted, the song of these 

 birds may be heard in the spring for years together. The Capercaillie does not, during 

 his play, confine himself to any particular tree, as Mr. Nilsson asserts to be the case; for 

 on the contrary, it is seldom he is to be met with exactly on the same spot for two days 

 in succession. On these 'lek' several Capercaillie may occasionally be heard playing at 

 the same time; Mr. Greiff, in his quaint way, observes, 'it then goes gloriously.' But 

 so long as the old male birds are alive, they will not, it is said, permit the young 



