2 94 The Scottish Naturalist. 



m 



Chap. xix. p. 107. — Distribution. 



I have been asked the question, by a well-known and scien- 

 tific ornithologist — " Has it ever struck you that the indigenous 

 British Capercaillie is a race, and not quite the same as the 

 Swedish bird ?" It certainly does strike me that probably, follow- 

 ing the law, which is pretty generally recognised, that insular 

 examples of European species are found very generally to be 

 smaller (and darker in colour) than Continental examples — such 

 may have been the case. But in absence of any specimens of 

 the indigenous race being available, so far as I know, the fact 

 cannot, I fancy, now be ascertained with any certainty. 



Appendix, p. 153. — Bones at Settle. 



Mr John Bulbeck, jun., in a letter to Mr Peterkin, says : "We 

 have not found any bones of Capercaillie in the Settle caves ; in 

 fact, we have found very i^v^ bones of birds at all." 



Chap. V. p. 51, and Appendix, p. 154. — The Capercaillie in 



Ireland. 



Colonel Cooper of Markree Castle, County Sligo, Ireland, is 

 still persevering in his endeavours to introduce the Capercaillie 

 to Ireland. I would be glad if any of our Scottish proprietors 

 who possess plenty of these birds can in any way assist him 

 during the present season. 



Cape7raillie for America. 



An American reviewer in ' Forest and Stream ' — Mr G. M. 

 Fairchild, jun. — says : " From what I know and can learn of the 

 Capercailzie and its habits, I am inclined to believe that it 

 would thrive and multiply in our Great Maine woods or in the 

 Michigan pineries," and suggests the propriety of "some of our 

 wealthy sportsmen's associations " attempting to introduce it. 

 As a naturalist, I am against the practice generally of " introduc- 

 tions," and "acclimatization societies;" but of course there are 

 cases in which "introductions" confer benefits on a nation. All 

 such, however, ouglit to be very carefully considered, both as to 

 their probable success or jiossible failure, and also the conse- 

 quences, should it be successful, to other interests, as well as 

 to other species, before they are undertaken. 



DuNirAcii House, Larhf.rt, 

 May 17, 1880. 



