ters. 



64 NATURAL HISTORYof NORWAY. 



After this general account of the Norway Birds, I propofe now 

 to enumerate feverally all thofe forts that I have been able to get 

 any fatisfaftory intelligence about; and that, as has been, faid 

 in alphabetical order, according to their Norway names. 



SECT. IV. 



The Aarfugi. Aarfugl, Urhane, Urogallus, or Tetrao minor, the Growfe, is 

 fhaped not unlike to a common cock, but black or dark brown 

 in colour, and red about the eyes : the hen is much lefs brownifh, 

 with black fpots *. Their refort is in woods and rocks, and they 

 live upon buds of trees, the catkins of birch and the like; their 

 flefh is wholefome and well-tafled, and therefore they are very 



winter.Q«ar. much followed by the fportfmen. In the Winter they take care 

 of themfelves in this manner; they firft fill their craw with as 

 much food as it will hold, fo that it hangs like a bag under their 

 neck, whereby they are provided with fomething to live upon for 

 fome time ; then they'll drop themfelves down in the foft fnow, 

 and don't ftay in their firft hole, but undermine and burrow in 

 the fnow, fome fathoms from it ; and there they make a final 1 

 opening for the bill, and thus they lie warm and comfortable 

 together : but the huntfman difturbs them in their Winter 

 quarters thus ; he looks out for the place where he finds the fnow 

 appears as if it were funk in, and there he pufhes down a pole 

 with a fpread net at the end of it, into which the poor feared 

 birds fly, and then are drawn up. 



The moft convenient time for (hooting them is in the Spring 

 of the year, early at fun-rifing; for then the Bird lies on the 

 fmooth and flat ground, from whence it is called Leeg-Vold ; 

 for it is in the nature of it, at that feafon, to be quite heedlefs, 

 through its amorous difpofition, and with its eyes fhut it lies 

 crowing or chirping for the hen. There commonly lie three 

 or four, or more, together ; fo that there is a good mark : if the 

 cock falls then all the hens fly away ; but if he ftands ftill 

 crowing, and appears to be ffcupid, as is fometimes the cafe, they 

 fhoot again : from the cock's bill at that time runs a ftrong 

 fcum or froth, which the hens peck up eagerly, and that is all, 

 according to the opinion of many, which ferves for procreation ; 

 but others deny the laft, and fay they have feen them copulate in 

 the ordinary manner, which appears moft credible. 



* Mas a fcemina in tantum differt, ut duorum gencrum hujufmodi rerum imperito 

 videri pofllnt. Immo Gefnero etiam ipfi vifse funt, fays Francifcus Willugbeius in 

 Ornitholog. Lib. ii. cap. xii. §. 11. p. 125. where thefe fort of Birds are called 

 Tetrao Minor. 



Aker- 



