1899.] Barrett-Hamilton. — hitroduction of Black Grouse^ c. 39 



game, and turned out (in August, 1839) first nine young birds, 

 which were never seen afterwards, and then (in November) 

 six brace of full-grown birds, which eventually disappeared, 

 although some of them kept about the neighbourhood for 

 nearly a 3 r ear. 



The present Lord O'Neill knows nothing about this attempt 

 to introduce black game at Claggan, and has been informed 

 by Major McClintock (who, it is stated, " probably would know 

 more about it than any one else now living") " that there 

 never were any black game at Claggan,, but that an attempt 

 was once made to introduce them at Gleuarm, which entirely 

 failed." (In letters of June 2 and 7, 1898). 



With regard to a later introduction at Glenarm, Lord 

 Antrim has been good enough to-inform me 1 that in the year 

 1880 he " turned out 19 half-grown black game in the 

 Deerpark . . . from Douglas Castle, Lanarkshire, N.B." 

 These birds were seen flying about in the following autumn, 

 and a hen which was shot by mistake in a potato field in 

 October, proved to be in excellent condition. Lord Antrim 

 thinks that there " is no possible doubt that black game 

 would do here very well, but it is impossible to preserve them, 

 as they always comedown to the fields at certain times of the 

 year ; the fields are so small that men with guns are able 

 always to command any place where black game may be in a 

 field from some part of the wall surrounding it." Lord Antrim 

 believes that all the 19 black game which he turned down 

 were thus destroyed, and he heard of one having been sold in 

 Glenarm for sixpence ! 



Another northern and equally unsuccessful introduction 

 took place, according to information given to Thompson 

 {pp. cit., p. 37) by John Inglis, gamekeeper at Glenarm Park, 

 at Tollymore Park, Co. Down, some time previously to 1841. 

 " In April, 1846, there was still a fine gray hen there, but no 

 male bird." 



According to the same informant it was about the same 

 time (i.e., in the winter of 1839-40), that six brace of Black 

 Grouse were brought from Douglas Castle, Scotland, to the 

 estates of the Earl of Courtovvn, south of Dublin. 



1 In lit. of 6th June, 1898. 



