1 20 THE WOOD OROUSB OR CAPERCAILZIE. 
ever, those birds wert? in the pines in the first in- 
stance ; butt tm my wtm possessed of bu extra- 
ordinarily fine sen&e of smelling, sfte would often 
wind, or, in ciher words, sceot them from a very 
long disitant'e. 
" Wliim she found the capercailzie, Hhe would sta- 
tion herfielf under die tree wlicre diey were sitting, 
and, by keej>inff up an iucessant Imrkin^, direct my 
steps towards tliespot, I now advanced wiiii !<idence 
and cftution ; and m it frequently happened that the 
attention of tlie bird was mnch taken up with ob- 
serviti^ the dog, I was enabled to approach until it 
was within the range of my rifle, or even of my com- 
mon pin, 
'* In tlve forest, the capercailzie does not always 
present an easy mark ; for» dipping down from tbe 
pine^i nearly to the groun<l, as is frequently the case, 
they are often almost out of distance before one can 
properly take alrai. No. 1 or 2 aUot may answer 
very wel], at short range, to kill the hens ; but for 
tlie cocks, tbe sportsman hhould he provided with 
mucli lart^er. 
" Towards the commentrement of, and fturing tbe 
continmmce of the winier;, the capercai);;tes are gene- 
I'ally in packs^ ; these, which are usually composed 
wholly of cockst (tbe henH keeping apart,) do not se- 
parate until the approach of spring. Tliese packs, 
which are sometimes said to contain fifty or a hun- 
dred birds, usually liold to the sides of the numerous 
