164 Mr Wilson on the Introduction of 



fact she did succeed in breaking most of them, but eight were 

 obtained uninjured. These were set under a common hen, but 

 only one bird was hatched, and it died soon after. In the spring 

 of 1830, the hen capercailzie laid eight eggs. Of these she broke 

 only one, and, settling in a motherly manner on the other seven, 

 she sat steadily for five weeks. On examining the eggs, however, 

 they were all found to be addle. " It is to be remarked " Mr 

 Gumming here observes, " that in 1829 and 1830 the hen had 

 access only to the cock that was brought home with herself." 



In the early part of 1831, three apartments were ingeniously 

 formed adjoining one another. The hen was placed in the 

 central chamber, between which and the enclosure on either 

 side, each of which contained a male, there was an easy com- 

 munication ; so contrived, however, that the female could have 

 access to both the males, whilst they, from their greater size, 

 could neither approach each other, nor disturb the female as 

 long as she chose to remain in her own apartment. In May 

 and June of that year she laid twelve eggs, seven of which were 

 set under a common hen. Of these, four were hatched in an 

 apparently healthy state, one was addle, and the other two con- 

 tained dead birds. Of those left with the capercailzie hen, she 

 broke one, and sat upon the other four, of which two were 

 hatched, and the other two were found to contain dead birds. 

 Of the two hatched one soon died. Both the barn-door hen 

 and the female capercailzie sat twenty-nine days, from the time 

 the laying was completed till the young were hatched ; and Mr 

 Gumming calls my attention to the fact, that there were birds 

 in all the eggs of this year's laying except one. 



My visit to Braemar took place about the first week of last 

 August. I think all the five young were then alive, and al- 

 though only a few weeks old, they were by that time larger 

 than the largest moor-game. I had no opportunity of handling 

 them, or of examining them very minutely, but the general view 

 .which I had of them, at the distance of a few feet, did not 

 enable me to distinguish the difference between the young males 

 and females. They seemed precisely the same at that time 

 both in size and plumage, although I doubt not the male 

 markings must have soon shewn themselves on the young cocks. 

 The single surviving bird of those hatched by the mother died 



