504 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



the Victoria Cave, near Settle. In one of the caves of Upper 

 Teesdale, also, at an elevation of 1600 feet, numerous bones 

 of this bird were found by Mr. James Backhouse, who tells 

 me that the cave is situate in Durham County, about two 

 miles from the nearest point of Yorkshire, but it is hardly 

 conceivable that such a bird would adhere to one side of the 

 vale, and not occasionally visit the other. Amongst these 

 bones is one nearly perfect humerus, belonging to a male bird 

 of full size ; others, less perfect, to the female of ordinary 

 size ; whilst others, again, are smaller than those of the type. 

 Some appear to indicate a hybrid between this species and 

 the Red Grouse. From the abundance of the remains, there 

 can be no doubt that the Capercaillie was, in past ages, a 

 common inhabitant of the forests of the north of England, 

 and was taken into the caves as food, either by cave men 

 or cave animals. 



The only instance of its occurrence in the county, within 

 historic times, was in the woods near Clapham, where a male 

 example was procured by the late Mr. Foster, whose son, 

 Mr. Wm. Foster of Stoke House, Tenbury, writing on 20th 

 February 1904, informs me that, so far as he can ascertain, 

 the bird was killed about the year 1830, and was preserved, 

 but my informant does not remember what became of it. 

 He is of opinion that it was not a bird which had been turned 

 out in the neighbourhood of Clapham, and he adds that his 

 father and the late James Farrar of Ingleborough were the 

 only persons who shot in that part of the county at the period 

 named (cf. Rev. E. Peake, Nat. 1896, p. 45). 



In connection with this note it is well to remember that 

 the date is somewhat extraordinary, as this bird became 

 extinct, even in Scotland, in the latter half of the eighteenth 

 century, and was only re-introduced there in 1837. 



