iS99-l Barrett-Hamilton. — Introduction of Black Grouse,&c. 41 



were cocks. The six birds were turned out in the Deer Park 

 at Powerscourt, and Lord Powerscourt writes that he re- 

 members that " they were often seen flying over the hills for 

 a few years after, but there being so many cocks, they did not 

 increase, and I am afraid they must have been shot." 



Again, in 1875, Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier 1 stated, that, having in 

 the early spring of 1875 been consulted by a correspondent of 

 the Field newspaper as to the best possible means of intro- 

 ducing black game into the South-w T est of Ireland, he recom- 

 mended the importation of fresh eggs from Scotland, and the 

 hatching of them in the nests of common wild Pheasants. 

 Accordingly, several settings of eggs were obtained from 

 Scotland, one of which was placed under a hen Pheasant, 

 then at liberty, although she had been reared in confinement. 

 These eggs were hatched, and the young, to the number of 

 seven, successfully reared. They thrived and grew to their full 

 size. " The seven kept together, and were daily observed for 

 a great part of the winter. Suddenly the whole escaped 

 observation," and were found to have left the pheasant coverts 

 where the) 7 were reared, and to have betaken themselves to the 

 top of one of the heather-covered Limerick hills, where a cock 

 and two hens were repeatedly observed up to April, 1876. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. E- Harting for the information that 

 attempted introductions of black game at Markree Castle, in 

 the Co. Sligo, have likewise been a failure, in regard to which 

 Colonel Cooper 2 has been good enough to inform me that 

 more than thirty years ago he " turned down a considerable 

 number of black game for two, if not three years in succession, 

 but they all disappeared the following spring. A good many 

 years afterwards, Colonel Cooper imported a good many black 

 game from Norway " (the birds previously imported had come 

 from Scotland) ; some of these Norwegian birds remained 

 about Markree Castle for several years, but they were never 

 known to have bred, and they eventually died out. 



Lastly, I was informed by Mr. Irvine, that the late Duke of 

 Abercorn introduced this species into the heathy mountains 

 of mid-Tyrone, but in a few years after wandering into the 

 neighbouring heaths it became extinct — a statement which is 

 confirmed by Mr. J. M. Farlane, agent to the Duke of 

 Abercorn. 



1 Field, of August 7, 1875, p. 158 ; and April 22, 1876, p. 464. 

 ' In lit. of 19th Sept., 1898. 



