cali, eight to twelve young ones belonging' to - each hen.
They were so tame, that, like our commotrhens, thuy,“'would
run forward when com was thrown to them; jTfey .should
always have a good supply of sand and fresh water.
44 The young birds shoidd be supplied.with ant eggs .in
conjunction with the materials !of which the hills of those ;
insects are composed ; hard boiled Pggs ;so?e do be chopped
and mixecf amongst fine moistened barley meal; ?ate® pea-
haum and trefoil grass. They must "have:; plenty’ of, watery
which should be placed so that they cannot «verturn the
pitcher, for they suffer very much if they get- -wet when'
they are young. Dry sand and mould they never should be
without: when they get larger, and cabbage leases, strawberries,
cranberries, and blueberries are to be had, they are
fond of such food ; and when they are full-’grown, they eat
barley and wheat; and in winter they should have' young
shoots of pine and birch buds. I have i^een, many people
who thought they treated young birds wdhib.y giving them
juniper berries ; but they never resort to this kind of food
but in cases of necessity.”« i
I have purposely gone to considerable • length in these extracts
in reference to the modes of treating both tlrq>pld and
the young birds dn a state of* confinement, because-> great
labour and 'very considerable sums have' been expended to
reintroduce these magnificent bird's to the forests ofJScotland
: several noblemen have been for some seasons past, and
are at present engaged in this undertaking, and others may
be induced to assist, from the success that has already attend.-
ed these endeavours, and the mode: of management being
supplied. During the year 1838, and in the early part of
1839* Lord Breadalbane received at his seat in Scotland
forty-four Capercaillie altogether, about two thirds of which
were hens, and all were old and seasoned birds. This splem
did collection was made in Sweden, with vast, trouble and
very great expense* by Mr. L. Lloyd. Thomas F . Buxton,
Esq. formerly* member for Weymouth, presented them to his
lordship, ;and fit will be, gratifying to every one who takes an
mierest Tibs our native .birds to know that a portion of these
being retained in a ; large' aviary, -and others turned out into
both divisifowi Mpe succeeded, and seventy-nine
young birds v^ejfenown.to be h a tc h ^ out. during the season
of Abeaat the^jend o f the year 1827, or early in
January Lord; Fyfe;* commenced with a pair. of.birds,
and February l^S^reeeiated a second p a ir; but I have
| p t heard whafe success has^ attended this attempt. b-S‘ I t was
intended as soon asvsome healthy broods had been reared in
confinemcptf-ho liberate a few in the old pine woods of Brae-
mar, and thus.eventually to stock with the finest of feathered
,game*fehe noblest of Scottish forests.”
Three-birds .were sent in 1838. to the Duchess of Athol,
at Blair; and several were sent to the Earl of Derby at
-Knewsley; in whose-aviary fivfe>y.oung birds were hatched last
sumrirea?, four, of which are now» doing well.
“ According io M. Nilsson, when the Capercali .is thus
reared, he -feeqsaently. becomes as tame as a domestic fowl,
and may be safelydeft at large.'' He, however, «seldom loses
his" natural boldness-:; and, like the Turkey-cock, will often
fly&at and peck people. He never becomes so tame and
familiar as the Black-cocki,* Even in,.Ms- wild state,, the
Capercali occasionally forgets his inherent:shyness, and will
attack people when approaching his place of resort. Mr.
Adlerberg mentions such an occurrence. During a number
of years, an old. Capercali. cock had been in the habit of frequenting
the estate of Villinge at Wormdo, which, as often as
he heard the voices' of people in the adjoining wood, had the
boldness to,station himself on the ground, and, during a continual
flapping of his wings, pecked at the legs and feet of
those that disturbed his domain. M. Brehm, also, mentions