104 THE CAPEECAILLIE. 



tion at Brodick, and had charge of them. Mr. George Croll, 

 his son, has supplied me with the following account of the 

 introduction : — " The first introduction came from Taymouth 

 Castle in 1843. The birds numbered six hens and one cock. 

 The second introduction came from Sweden to London in 

 1846, and I went there (London) to receive them, and brought 

 them to Arran. The number of birds, eight hens and two 

 cocks. The approximate estimate of birds in after years 

 would be, in 1855, about 40, and in 1865, the year I left the 

 island, about 65 or 70. I consider that the birds cannot 

 increase to more than 80 or 90 birds, owing to the hmited 

 extent of wood and planting. Black game have decreased on 

 the island of late years, not on account of the numbers of the 

 Capercaillies, but solely through the want of cropping on the 

 moor-edges, which have been turned into pasture. There 

 has been little or no planting of Scotch fir, larch, or spruce, 

 since the year 1830." 



The birds are confined to the neighbourhood of Brodick, 

 Arran, where there are about 600 acres of fir wood; only 

 stragglers having been found in other parts of the island. 



