THE CAPERCAILZIE 
his neck ruffle and his head is stretched out. Then^ 
for three or four minutes, he sings, uttering a sound 
like peller, peller, peller,” and he gradually works 
himself into such a wild state of excitement that he 
does not notice any danger drawing near. 
On the ground beneath the tree the hens will 
stand, filled with admiration at this wonderful per- 
formance. They can only cluck “gock, gock,” in 
a harsh way, but they do this with all their might to 
attract his attention. 
When Capercailzie and Pheasants live in the 
same wood it is said that the Capercailzie do harm 
by driving away the Pheasants from the coops and 
eating the Indian corn put there for them. It is said, 
too, that a Capercailzie will often take possession of a 
Pheasant’s nest even if there be eggs in it. 
It was once noticed that a hen Capercailzie had 
come upon a Pheasant’s nest containing four eggs, 
which the mother had carefully covered with leaves 
before going away to find food. The Capercailzie 
took her place there and laid more eggs. Fortunately 
the birds seemed to come to a friendly understanding, 
and they took turn and turn about in sitting on the 
eggs until a brood of birds of both kinds was hatched. 
