CAUSES OF EXTINCTION. 33 



to examine into the details of the testimony, we find that it 

 was not until the beginning of the 18th century that any large 

 extent of young wood was planted/ nor until the end of the 

 18th century that arboriculture became general in Scotland. 

 The latter would appear to have been too late to afford fresh 

 sustenance to the indigenous Capercaillies, but it yielded an 

 abundant supply by the date of the Eestoration of the species 

 in 1837-38, for the re-introduced birds. Eutty, as has been 

 seen (antea, p. 31), accounts for their extirpation in Ireland 

 " of late, by reason of the destruction of our woods." Smith 

 (^History of Corh' 1749) does so likewise. 



^ " It would seem that in Scotland, among the first who planted trees in 

 large masses for profitable use was Thomas, Earl of Haddington. He began 

 to plant extensively at his seat, Tynninghame, in East Lothian, in 1705. . . 

 . . . A large amount of planting had been undertaken and performed be- 

 twixt the years 1777 and 1817. . . . In the latter part of the last century, 

 and in the beginning of the present one, the chief planters in Scotland were 

 the Duke of Athole, Lord Breadalbane, and Sir J. Grant of Strathspey. . . 



. The plantations of any one of those just named far overbalanced those 

 of any other private proprietor perhaps in Britain" (v. ^ The Forester,' by 

 James Brown, 4th edition, p. 3, et seq. Edinburgh, 1871). Thus, coincident 

 with the Eestoration, it will be seen that there was abundant supply of young 

 thriving wood at Taymouth. In ' The Beauties of Scotland,' Edinburgh, 1805 

 (vol. i. p. 431), 1707, is given as the year in which planting was commenced 

 at Tynninghame. A pretty full account of the operations is here given. 



D 



