290 The Scottish Natu?-alist. 



Chap. iv. p. 15. — Mention of Capercaillie in old grants, dated 



circa 1 343-1 361. 



In the review of my book in ' The Zoologist ' for November 

 1879, the reviewer writes: "We have met with old grants 

 {circa 1 343-1 361) of land in the county of Durham, held by the 

 tenure, inter alia, of paying 'one wode-henne yerely ' to the 

 Bishop of Durham for the time being, indicating pretty clearly 

 the ' Ceiliog Coed' or Capercaillie." The reviewer also re- 

 marks: "We would have wished that while he was about it, 

 he had told us a little about the former existence of the Caper- 

 caillie in England," &c. I think this would be a very good 

 subject for a paper, either in your pages or those of ' The 

 Zoologist,' and I would be glad if English ornithologists would 

 either assist me or the editor of 'The Zoologist' in bringing all 

 the facts together. 



Chap. iv. p. 15. — Earlier notice of the bird than that of Hector 



Boetius /// 1526. 



*' Quoth he, my kid, my capircalyeane, 

 My bonny bab with the ruch brilyeane. " 



Dunbar's Poems— ^ Brash of Wowing. 



Here it is used as a term of endearment. In Mr David 

 Laing's Edition, vol. ii. p. 29, Mr Laing says that William 

 Dunbar was born about the middle of the fifteenth century, 

 and died about the year 1520. 



I am obliged to Dr Alexander Smith for this interesting note. 



Chap. iv. p. 15. — Monumental Stone at Sandivick. 



On the monumental stone at Sandwick, Ross-shire, there is a 

 species of the Grouse family figured, if not two. The feathered 

 feet are conspicuous, but the shape of the tail is rather against 

 the bird being intended to represent a Capercaillie. There are 

 two figures of the bird — apparently male and female — but whether 

 of different species or of the same, it is difficult to determine. 

 Had a Black-cock been intended in the figure of the male, the 

 recuri'ed outer tail feathers would surely have beeii most dis- 

 tinctly represented, which they are not ; but then, on the other 

 hand, the tail is sqtiare or slightly concave, not rounded like a 

 Capercaillie's. 



My object in noticing it here is to attract the attention of 



