THIRD SERIES. 
Some Notes on the Birds 
OF WHICH 
PHOTOGRAPHS APPEAR IN 
THE FOREGOING PAGES . . 
BY 
George Girdwood. 
Capercaillie. — The Capercaillie is much the largest of the British 
game birds, the male attaining to the length of 35 inches, the female 
being some 10 inches shorter. The former is a very handsome bird, 
dark slate grey in colour, with each feather finely vermiculated with 
white. It is possessed of an extremely powerful bill, curved in shape, 
and has a habit of distending the feathers of the throat, the combina- 
tion giving to the bird a somewhat fierce look, which is however alto- 
gether belied by its nature and habits, which much resemble those 
of the black grouse. The colour of the female is chestnut, barred 
with black, the tips of the feathers being touched with white. This 
species was at one time indigenous to Great Britain, but became 
extinct. It was, however, re-introduced to Scotland some 50 years 
ago, and has within late years greatly increased in numbers, and 
in its range ; occurring now frequently in counties much farther south 
than that into which it was re-introduced. The food of the Caper- 
caillie consists very largely of the needles of the Scots fir, a diet 
which imparts to its flesh a strongly resinous flavour. In dissect- 
ing a mature male, it is not uncommon to find its crop distended 
with an enormous mass of these needles, so hard and dry as to cause 
admiration of the extraordinary digestive power which can reduce 
and assimilate such unlikely material. This bird also feeds on 
berries and acorns, and the young shoots and buds of a variety of 
trees. The Capercaillie is polygamous, and in the breeding season 
the males are said to indulge in severe fighting, at which time they 
may be easily approached. The nest of the Capercaillie consists of 
a mere scraping in the ground in which are laid from five to eight 
eggs, or in the case of older females from eight to twelve, though as 
many as sixteen eggs have been found — in the last case probably the 
product of two hens. They resemble the eggs of the black grouse, 
being of a dull cream ground colour, spotttd with reddish brown, 
and are rather over a inches in length. 
Cormorant.— The Cormorant is a resident species, breeding in 
all suitable localities round our coast line, except in the north and 
north-west, where it is superseded by the Green Cormorant or Shag. 
This bird is easily identified. Most of our sea fowl are light in 
colour ; the Cormorant, on the other hand, is a dead black, though 
in the breeding season this is varied by a slight metallic wash of 
bluish black, and at this season also both sexes assume a series of 
white nuptial plumes, extending from the crown down either side of 
the neck, and also a large white patch on each thigh. The length 
of the Cormorant is 33 inches. 
