HISTORY OF THE SPECIES IN SCOTLAND. 27 



a man of superior intelligence, a naturalist and botanist of 

 much and very exact knowledge in all that concerned these, 

 his favourite studies. It was this old man Kennedy who 

 first told me about the shooting of the Capercaillie by Mr. 

 Henderson in 1807. Kennedy was then (1807) old enough 

 to remember the circumstances perfectly. I am pretty sure 

 that he said he saw and examined the bird after Henderson 

 had brought it to Ardgour House, to show it as a curiosity to 

 Colonel MacLean, the Laird." 



We cannot look upon this male bird as a remnant of the 

 original stock, but probably as a wandered bird from some 

 later attempt at restoration, notwithstanding the mention of 

 the Capercaillie in old Gaelic songs of the beginning of the 

 century, which Eev. A. Stewart has quoted for me as follows, 

 though there does appear to be traditionary evidence of its 

 having lingered in that part of the Highlands, and, as Mr. 

 Stewart says, that it was at least not an unknown bird in 

 1794. I give Mr. Stewart's communication in full : — 



" In the year 1794, on the anniversary of the birthday 

 of Campbell, Laird of Lochnell, near Oban, he gave a feast 

 and ball to his tenantry and dependants. Present amongst 

 others on the occasion was James Shaw, better known to 

 Gaelic scholars as Bard Loch-nan-EaUr (the Lochnell bard). 

 In the course of the evening, the bard having been called 

 upon for a toast, repeated instead an extempore poem in 

 laudation of his friend and patron the Laird of Lochnell, with 

 which poem the Laird was so much pleased that he made 

 Shaw a present of Five Guineas on the spot. The concluding 

 line of one of the stanzas of this poem is this : — 



' Bii tu Capullcoille na guibhsaich.' 



and the literal translation of the stanza is as follows : — 



' Thou art the eagle amongst birds, 

 Thou art the oak-tree not given to bending, 



