[1] Some writers wrongly speak as though the two hills were identical.
CAPER, FLAVIUS, Latin grammarian, flourished during the and century. He
devoted special attention to the early Latin writers, and is highly
spoken of by Priscian. Caper was the author of two works--_De Lingua
Latina_ and _De Dubiis Generibus_. These works in their original form
are lost; but two short treatises entitled _De Orthographia_ and _De
Verbis Dubiis_ have come down to us under his name, probably excerpts
from the original works, with later additions by an unknown writer.
See F. Osann, _De Flavio Capro_ (1849), and review by W. Christ in
_Philologus_, xviii. 165-170 (1862), where several editions of other
important grammarians are noticed; G. Keil, "De Flavio Grammatico," in
_Dissertationes Halenses_, x. (1889); text in H. Keil's _Grammatici
Latini_, vii.
CAPERCALLY, or CAPERKALLY,[1] a bird's name commonly derived from the
Gaelic _capull_, a horse (or, more properly, a mare), and _coille_, a
wood, but with greater likelihood, according to the opinion of Dr
M'Lauchlan, from _cabher_, an old man (and, by metaphor, an old bird),
and _coille_, the name of _Tetrao urogallus_, the largest of the grouse
family (_Tetraonidae_), and a species which was formerly indigenous to
Scotland and Ireland. The word is frequently spelt otherwise, as
capercalze, capercailzie (the z, a letter unknown in Gaelic, being
pronounced like y), and capercaillie, and the English name of
wood-grouse or cock-of-the-wood has been often applied to the same bird.
The earliest notice of it as an inhabitant of North Britain seems to be
by Hector Boethius, whose works were published in 1526, and it can then
be traced through various Scottish writers, to whom, however, it was
evidently but little known, for about 200 years, or may be more, and by
one of them only, Bishop Lesley, in 1578, was a definite _habitat_
assigned to it:--"In Rossia quoque Louguhabria [Lochaber], atque aliis
montanis locis" (_De Origine Moribus et rebus gestis Scotorum_. Romae:
ed. 1675, p. 24). Pennant, during one of his tours in Scotland, found
that it was then (1769) still to be met with in Glen Moriston and in The
Chisholm's country, whence he saw a cock-bird. We may infer that it
became extinct about that time, since Robert Gray (_Birds of the West of
Scotland_, p. 229) quotes the Rev. John Grant as writing in 1794: "The
last seen in Scotland was in the woods of Strathglass about thirty-two
years ago." Of its existence in Ireland we have scarcely more details.
If we may credit the _Pavones sylvestres_ of Giraldus Cambrensis with
being of this species, it was once abundant there, and Willughby (1678)
was told that it was known in that kingdom as the "cock-of-the-wood." A
few other writers mention it by the same name, and John Rutty, in 1772,
says (_Nat. Hist. Dublin_, i.p. 302) that "one was seen in the county of
Leitrim about the year 1710, but they have entirely disappeared of late,
by reason of the destruction of our woods." Pennant also states that
about 1760 a few were to be found about Thomastown in Tipperary, but no
later evidence is forthcoming, and thus it would seem that the species
was exterminated at nearly the same period in both Ireland and Scotland.
When the practice of planting was introduced, the restoration of this
fine bird to both countries was attempted. In Ireland the trial, of
which some particulars are given by J. Vaughan Thompson (_Birds of
Ireland_, ii. 32), was made at Glengariff, but it seems to have utterly
failed, whereas in Scotland, where it was begun at Taymouth, it finally
succeeded, and the species is now not only firmly established, but is
increasing in numbers and range. Mr L. Lloyd, the author of several
excellent works on the wild sports and natural history of Scandinavia,
supplied the stock from Sweden, but it must be always borne in mind that
the original British race was wholly extinct, and no remains of it are
known to exist in any museum.
This species is widely, though intermittently, distributed on the
continent of Europe, from Lapland to the northern parts of Spain, Italy
and Greece, but is always restricted to pine-forests, which alone afford
it food in winter. Its bones have been found in the kitchen-middens of
Denmark, proving that country to have once been clothed with woods of
that kind. Its remains have also been recognized from the caves of
Aquitaine. Its eastern or southern limits in Asia cannot be precisely
given, but it certainly inhabits the forests of a great part of Siberia.
On the Stannovoi Mountains, however, it is replaced by a distinct though
nearly allied species, the _T. urogalloides_ of Dr von Middendorff,[2]
which is smaller with a slenderer bill but longer tail.
The cock-of-the-wood is remarkable for his large size and dark plumage,
with the breast metallic green. He is polygamous, and in spring mounts
to the topmost bough of a tall tree, whence he challenges all comers by
extraordinary sounds and gestures; while the hens, which are much
smaller and mottled in colour, timidly abide below the result of the
frequent duels, patiently submitting themselves to the victor. While
this is going on it is the practice in many countries, though generally
in defiance of the law, for the so-called sportsman stealthily to draw
nigh, and with well-aimed gun to murder the principal performer in the
scene. The hen makes an artless nest on the ground, and lays therein
from seven to nine or even more eggs. The young are able to fly soon
after they are hatched, and towards the end of summer and beginning of
autumn, from feeding on the fruit and leaves of the bilberries and other
similar plants, which form the undercovert of the forests, get into
excellent condition and become good eating. With the first heavy falls
of snow they betake themselves to the trees, and then, feeding on the
pine-leaves, their flesh speedily acquires so strong a flavour of
turpentine as to be distasteful to most palates. The usual method of
pursuing this species on the continent of Europe is by encouraging a
trained dog to range the forest and spring the birds, which then perch
on the trees; while he is baying at the foot their attention is so much
attracted by him that they permit the near approach of his master, who
thus obtains a more or less easy shot. A considerable number, however,
are also snared. Hybrids are very frequently produced between the
capercally and the black grouse (_T. tetrix_), and the offspring has
been described by some authors under the name of _T. medius_, as though
a distinct species. (A. N.)