diet. The distended crop of a fine male, sent to me 

 from Perthshire, contained a tightly compressed mass 

 of these needles, that on being liberated, well-nigh 

 filled an average-sized " chimney-pot " hat. From the 

 standard authorities I learn that the " Great Cock " is 

 more abundant in Scandinavia and Northern Russia 

 than elsewhere ; but it is to be met with, in numbers 

 probably varying with the amount of human protection 

 afforded, throughout the coniferous forests of Northern 

 and Central Germany, Switzerland, Austria, North 

 Italy, and both sides of the Pyrenees. In the 

 Cantabrian range, as I have already stated, it is not 

 confined to the fir-growing districts. It occurs in the 

 Carpathians, but I cannot obtain any authentic evidence 

 of its existence in any part of European Turkey, and 

 am disposed to think that the many rumours that have 

 reached me of the existence of " Wild Turkeys " in 

 that country must, in spite of solemn asseverations to 

 the contrary, really have reference to the Great Bustard. 

 The various methods of shooting Capercaillie in Scotland 

 and on the Continent have been so fully treated of by 

 practised hands that a repetition concerning this subject 

 would be quite superfluous in a picture-book. 



Many hundreds of this species are annually sent from 

 the ports of Northern Europe to our markets during 

 the winter in a frozen condition. The flesh of the 

 young birds is, in my opinion, superior to that of 

 Blackgame, and I have found that even the old cocks 

 may, by judicious culinary treatment, be rendered into 

 very palatable food. 



The drawing, from which my plate was taken, was 



