356 



tHfe ZOOLOGIST. 



my hands and knees to the foot of the tree. My journey was but half 

 completed when I discovered, by the flapping of a wily old cock as he 

 made off, that the one I had seen was not the only occupant, for, on 

 peering cautiously round the stem, there to my delight were no less 

 than five others all busily engaged on their evening meal. It was ten 

 minutes before the keepers came up, and in that time I think I learnt 



Hen Capercaillie assuming Male Plumage. 



more about the positions and attitudes of Capercaillie than I have ever 

 done since. Though they never once thought of looking down at me, 

 it was very interesting to notice the simultaneous manner in which 

 they all stopped feeding on the first warning crack of the beater's 

 stick." 



Some excellent figures are given of hybrids, amongst others 

 of Capercaillie and Blackgame (p. 17), Capercaillie and Pheasant 

 (p. 31), Blackgame and Pheasant (p. 64), and Blackgame and 

 Grouse (p. GS). One of the most interesting is the supposed hybrid 



