1 10 THE WOOD GROUSE OR CAPERCAFLZIE. 
davc been made at Mar Loilge, and of ihe Itabha of 
the female ami younp:» will be reail witti interest. 
" I was watliiig down the Dee one tine artemoon, 
a little beknv Mm- Lodtje, ami with h lii^hier pHiiiiier 
tkan iifiua), when I heard the cry of a bird to 'wliich I 
was iiiiaccuftiomed, and my had succeaa in that day s 
angling, induced me the more readily to diverge 
from the * pure element of waters,' to a-seerlain what 
this might be. I made my way throngh the over- 
hanj^inj^ wood for a few hundred yarib, and soon af- 
ter leaehing the road, vvliith runs parallel with tlie 
river on itH ri«^ht side, I observed a wooden palisadp, 
or enclosurej on the sloping bank above me. On 
reaching it, I foimd it so closely hoarded up, that I 
had for a time some difficulty in descrying any in- 
mates, but my eyt> soon fell upon a magnificent bird, 
which at first, from its bold and almost fiejce ex- 
pression of countenance, I took rather for some great 
bird of prey than for a Capercailzie. A few seconds, 
however, satisfied me, that it was, what I had never 
before seen, a fine living example of that noble bird, 
I now 8o«ght the company of Mr Donald Mackenzie, 
Lord Fyfe's gamekeeper, the occupant of the neigh- 
bom-ing cottage. He atilockoti the (ioor of the for- 
tressj and introdtjced me to a more familiar acquain- 
tance with its feathered inhabitants. These i fountl 
to consist of two fine capercailzie cocks and one hen, 
and the latter, 1 was delighted to perceive, aceotp- 
panied by a thriving family of youni; birds, active 
and beautiful. 
