THE CAPERCAILLIE 



together with cranberries, whortleberries, juniper-berries, and grass, and sometimes 

 a few insects or worms. On the other hand, the hens, which spend much more time 

 on the ground than the cocks, and the young feed largely upon ants and other 

 insects, worms, etc. ; this being especially the case with the young birds. 



The capercaillie is a polygamous bird, and in the spring — sometimes while 

 the snow is still thick on the ground — each cock takes up a position on a tall pine, 

 and commences his nuptial performance or spel, as it is called in Norway. This 

 spel usually lasts from early dawn to sunrise, and is repeated from sunset till dark ; 

 but the time varies somewhat according to the state of the weather and the tempera- 

 ture. During this amatory performance the cock stretches out his neck, raises and 

 spreads out his wings like a fan, ruffles his feathers, and assumes an appearance 

 which has been compared to that of an angry turkey. A call, which has been ex- 

 pressed by the words fteller, peller, fieller, is uttered with continually increasing 

 rapidity, and concludes with a gulp and an indrawing of the breath, when the bird 

 throws up his head, closes his eyes, and appears to be in a paroxysm of passion. 



At the sound of the cock's call all the hens in the neighbourhood rush to the 

 place, uttering cries somewhat like the croak of a raven ; and when they have 

 assembled on the ground below the cock descends from his perch to join the party. 



In Scotland, capercaillie-shooting takes place from ioth August till 20th 

 December ; but in some parts of the Continent, as in Poland, for instance, the 

 calling-season is the time for this sport, which is so highly esteemed, that in 

 Hungary and Poland a tablet is fixed in the shooting-lodges to commemorate the 

 death of each bird. 



