110 THE WOOD GROUSE OH CAPERCAILZIE. 
have been made at Mar Lodge, anil of the habits of 
the female ami young* will he read with interest. 
<( I was wading down the Dee one fine afternoon, 
a little below Mar Lodge, ami with a lighter pannier 
than usual, when I heard the cry of a bird to which X 
was unaccustomed, and my had success in that day's 
angling, induced me the more readily to diverge 
from the ‘ pure element of waters,’ to ascertain what 
this might be- I made my way through the over- 
hanging wood for a few hundred yards, and soon af- 
ter reaching the road, which runs parallel with the 
river on its right side, I observed a wooden palisade, 
or enclosure, on the sloping bank above me. On 
reaching it, 1 found it .so closely boarded up, that I 
had for a lime some difficulty in descrying any in- 
mates, but my eye soon fell upon a magnificent bird, 
which at first, from its hold and almost tierce 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 sought the company of M r Donald Mackenzie, 
Lord Fyfe’s gamekeeper, the occupant of the neigh- 
bouring cottage. He unlocked tbe door of the for- 
tress, and introduced me to a more familiar acquain- 
tance with its feathered inhabitants. These I found 
to consist of two fine capercailzie cocks and one hen, 
and the latter, I was delighted to perceive, accom- 
panied by a thriving family of young birds, active 
and beautiful. 
