RESTORATION. 49 



Scotland in 1839 ; wandered birds from Taymontli, probably, 

 and one was offered for sale in Edinburgh. 



In 1843, as I am informed by Sir Eobert Menzies, " a 

 large number of the birds," to use his own words, " came across 

 the river to the Eock of Dull, on my property, where they 

 bred very well, and were taken good care of for a number of 

 years, as I did not allow them to be shot. The Eock of Dull 

 is a large wood of old Scotch fir. It is well exposed, facing 

 the south, and with plenty of water. The original plantation 

 is about 300 acres, and there is as much again more recently 

 planted close to it. With the exception of Drummond Hill, 

 the woods at Taymouth face the north, and I presume that 

 this was the reason why the birds, when turned out, came to 

 my side of the valley, which was right opposite. At first they 

 increased rapidly, having bred well the very first season ; but 

 I never got them to increase beyond what they were as to 

 numbers in the second or third year. They are very wander- 

 ing birds, and very soon I heard of their being at Tullimet, 

 Dunkeld, and Blair Athole; and thence they shortly after 

 moved on to the plantations in Strathord, Strathearn, and the 

 upper woods in the Carse of Gowrie. It is noteworthy that 

 this migration was always to the lower plantations, and I 

 have made several unsuccessful attempts to turn them out 

 again in Eannoch, which is higher wood. There, there is a 

 quantity of the indigenous Scotch fir, the remains of the for- 

 mer Caledonian forest; and where I expected they would have 

 done well and been well satisfied with their quarters, they 

 remained a year or two and then disappeared, and, I think, 

 migrated southward, preferring other places to Eannoch. I 

 have also sent ecf^s on several occasions across the Gram- 

 plans to Inverness-shire and to Beaufort Castle, but I think 

 they have not succeeded as yet in introducing them there. I 

 preserve the Capercaillie, as I do not think they do harm 

 either to the grouse or black game ; in fact, they frequent 



E 



