INCREASE OF CAPERCAILLIES. 119 



At Ochtertyre great numbers were seen in 1870 or thereabouts. 

 At Cardross, where they only arrived in 1868 and 1870, and 

 became established in 1871, and where there are about 300 

 acres of suitable wood along the south shore of the lake of 

 Menteith, 18 to 20 may be now seen in a day; and in 

 November 1877, 4 males and 6 females were shot one day. 

 On Murthly 12 were shot one day, and from 20 to 25 in four 

 days — about 3000 acres of fir and larch. Here they became 

 scarcer for a time after a certain date, and a correspondent 

 assigns over-shooting on a neighbouring property as the cause. 

 Now they are increasing again. On Tulliallan it is reckoned 

 there are "from 200 to 300 birds," in woods of an area of 

 at least 1500 acres. On the adjoining property of West 

 Grange I have myself seen at least 16 birds in one day, and 

 seen 4 shot. At Easter Ogle, in Forfarshire, 20 to 24 have been 

 shot in one day — about 2000 acres. On Saucliie, in Stirling- 

 shire, there are estimated to be from 50 to 60 birds. At 

 Dunsinane, near Perth, in 1868 or 1869, I saw upwards of 

 30 birds in one day. At Dupplin 16 were shot one day. 

 At Taymouth, about 1862, estimates reached between 1000 

 and 2000 birds.-^ At Torwood, in Stirlingshire, in 1878, about 

 14 were driven up to the guns in one beat, and 3 were shot. 



The above are only selections from a larger mass of 

 materials, but they tstII, I think, fairly illustrate the districts 

 in which the birds are most abundant. The farthest point 

 reached towards Loch Earn is Dunira, except a stray bird or 

 two on Loch Earn side at Ardvorlich and Dearry. 



^ According to returns to Parliament in 1873, the total acreage of the 

 Taymouth estates in Perthshire was 234,166 ; of this, of course, only a 

 comparatively small proportion is under wood. 



