very considerable height in the air, but. has known him take
a flight of several miles at a time. “ TherCapèrcali lives to a
considerable age ; at least so I infer,” says.'Mr. Lloyd,: “ from
the cocks not attaining to their ;full growth, until ; their third
year or:upward. /.The old ones may be easily .known from
their greater bulk, their èagle-like bill, and the mote beautiful
glossiness - of their plumage. The size of these birds
appears to depend, in a great degree; on the-Nlatitude'where
they are found. In Lapland, for instance, the cocks seldom
exceed nine or ten pounds. In Wermelan'd,> and adjacent
•parts, again, I have never heard of their being killed of more
-than thirteén pounds ; whilst in the more 'southern provinces
o f . Sweden,—--and I have three' several'. authorities*-'for ;my
statement,-^they have not .mnfrequentlybeen met with 'Weighing.
seventeen • pounds and' upwards. Thé hen Capercali
ùsùally /weighs from-five to six pounds,”
“ The Capercali is often domesticated in Sweden ; indeed;
/both , at î lliddêholm rand Risater, jw well as other places,"- I
have known /thémrto : be kept for. a 'long-.period in aviaries
built for. the purpose. ; These.birds were;sdkperfeetly
tame as to feed .out .of the hand. . Their food-principally consisted
of-bats, and: of the * lèivés ‘oftt&e .Sèptnhlfir, \Pinw *qjj£
æeétrisÿ large^branches of whieh were usually;introâhee4êèinto
their cages once or more in the cpuise'füf^Pçweék. ; Thëy
were also / supplied with / abundance of native bcm^rwBêâ
pirociÉcÈdde. They were amply provided at all /times; with
water and sand ;‘.the latter was .of a coarse quality; and both
were chàngëd-pretty frëquentlÿ.”
*X It. has been assërted that fhe Capercali will-not breed
when in a state of domestication ; this is altogether a mistake ;
repeated:: experience has proved-; the Contrary. A’ few years
ago I procured â brace of those birds/consisting of a- cockand
hen,* .for a friend of miney Thomas F owell Buxton/Esq. the
member for Weymouth, "then residènt fât Cromer -Hall, in
Norfolk. .After a few months the hen laid six eggs, and
from these, in process of time,, six Capercali were produced.
The chicks lived , until they had attained a very considerable
size, when .owing fo the effects, às it was supposed, of a burning
sun, to which! they had been incautiously exposed,-the
whole of them, .'together with 'th e mother,;.died; On this
mishap,, the old cock, the only. Survivor; was turned loose into
?tohe game preserves, where he- remained in a thriving, condition
for about-k year 'and a half. At last, hOwevér, he also
met his doom ^though this was'/supposed: to. havé - been owing
rather ho accidental; than. natural ca uses. - ; In farther corrbbb-
ratiomoMtevfeci; that the'.Câperchli will-breed when in confinement,
/I make the following quotation from M. Nilsson’s
work. ‘ That gehtleman’si authority was-the . Ofwer Directpxof
Uhr, and the -birdl Jhüuded to were at a forge in ihe. pro Vince
Dalecarlia. /Theywiere- kept together, during .'the winter
in a largeploftiîover a barn, and were, fed with.-command got
•oçeâsiomallj^a^tèhîÉisge e”®!'fresh spruce, fir, pihe,^ andjqhniper
sprigs.- 'Eârlÿémrt-he spring theywere^ let out into an enclosure
npln-the fhnùëbv.protected by a'high and: close fence,';iii
which were/several/ firs'- anfi pines, the .nohimon. .trees ;of /the
placé./. In this.^nelQsnæehthajâsîwere never disturbed; and
sfdjpkig: •'tehe^sbasenrof incubation - no gone : approached; except
th e:p ers oni/#ho laid in the>food;. whiq/b at - that time, consisted
-of barleyïdjeSidëS'frèsh.spiigsJ of the kinds beforé mentioned.
I d i s p e n s a b l e that./they, should. have! fall / liberty, and
remain dntófëly. undisturbed; if/theyhbns-are to sit and hatch
their young. Aai s-Oih -as this had. occurred,, and the brood
wéàsej/ otity they werëexeihnvedr to the yard,. which was also
/roomy,- and so closely fenced that the^young ones could; not
éscape, through and within-"this: fence fwere hedges and ; a
number,» ©f bushes planted.. Of the old ones, * one of the
wings »were always clipped; for prevent their flying. I have
seen several times Such broods both of black game and Gaper