402 



THti ZOOLOGIST. 



adjust matters whenever, in the way of difficulty, they "grew to 

 a point." With all this, however — the romantic or novelistic 

 part of the story — ornithology has nought to do, and I, therefore, 

 leave it, to come, at once, to the scientific results of my visit — 

 for field natural history is as scientific as astronomy, or any 

 laboratory work. 



April 12th, 1907. — This morning, having failed with the 

 Capercailzies, I tried the Blackcocks, getting to the shelter I had 

 put up, a day or two before, some time between three and four. 

 At about 4 there was the angry "whush-ee" note of a Blackcock 

 on the ground, and, shortly afterwards, the musical rookooing 

 one — the "whirble" as I call it — of several from surrounding 

 trees. This continued at intervals till, at about 5, three or four 

 cock birds appeared on the ground, but at a considerable distance 

 from where I sat. Also they kept getting behind a young fir, 

 by which, though it was only some three feet high, and pro- 

 portionately small, they were yet very much hidden. Still I was 

 able to see most of what went on. The great feature was the 

 spreading out of the tail, by which the curled feathers on either 

 side became a very marked feature, much enhanced by the 

 bunch of white ones between them. The two white spots on the 

 shoulders were also very conspicuous, and beyond all, perhaps, 

 the red comb or sere above the beak. The birds would stand or 

 walk with the tail expanded in this manner, and the head held 

 down except when f at intervals, with a little start and a note 

 that seemed to express sudden impatience they craned it up- 

 wards, and sometimes, but by no means always, gave a little leap 

 into the air. A quick succession of such movements on the part 

 of some became a sort of dancing over the ground, in which I 

 recognized, but very faintly, the astonishing performance of 

 which on one occasion only, now some 8 or 9 years ago, I was a 

 witness in Norway. Besides this, some birds faced, and even 

 sparred a little at each other, but it was a very feeble and half- 

 hearted affair, suggesting either that these particular individuals 

 were not good fighters, or — which is perhaps more likely — that 

 the season is as yet too early for the martial spirit to have become 

 properly developed. 



April 13th. — Started very early with Jacobsen (the forester), 

 but wasted valuable time in unsuccessful quest of Capercailzies, 



