NUPTIAL HABITS OF THE BLACKCOCK. 409 



the circumstances. Not that the thing seems unlikely in itself, 

 but since excrements are supposed to be the waste products of 

 food, how should the birds be nourished by them, many times 

 in succession ? Moreover, the explanation would seem to be 

 destructive of the phenomenon to be explained. Such heaps, 

 however, certainly seem the products of a considerable space of 

 time, and if the bird is all that time in the one spot, under the 

 snow, which is. what Jacobsen says, how is it nourished ? As 

 Jacobsen has passed his whole life in these forests, his father 

 having been forester (the equivalent here of gamekeeper, or 

 rather game-getter) before him, he may be supposed to have 

 intimate knowledge of the bird's habits. The Capercailzie, he 

 says, does not burrow in the snow, its food consisting entirely of 

 pine-needles, so that it would never be driven to do so. In 

 explanation of a large heap of over a hundred droppings of this 

 bird under a tree, he said it would be from the same one roosting 

 always on the same branch. To me it seems more likely that 

 the Blackcock burrows under the snow to get food. But to do 

 this it would have to move about, and, here again, these compact 

 heaps of droppings seem rather curious. 



April 18th. — To-day, unfortunately, was a blank, for having 

 arranged with the forester not to call me any more, since I could 

 now find my way to the lek alone, even in the dark, I overslept 

 myself. 



April 19th. — Called by the night watchman at 2.30, and 

 started shortly after 3, getting to the ridge from which I watch 

 in the first twilight of dawn. It is night, however, in the dark 

 forest, and, as yet, silence. Then, just as I get settled and com- 

 posed, in my rugs, comes the first almost sleepy " tir-whay," 

 then a pause, and another — still sleepy — and then several others 

 no longer so, and now I hear the flight of a bird or two down, as 

 I think, into the arena, where I seem for a moment, amongst the 

 shadows, to distinguish one black form. Then comes the first 

 imperfect whirble with another or two in the distance, whilst 

 the " tir-whaying" increases, though with fluctuations. 



Another near rookie. I can take no note of the hour, my 

 watch (price 7s. 6d.) having become incapacitated for the second 

 time. I have hardly been here ten minutes, however. 



Some loud, fierce-sounding " tir-whays," whilst the full 



