DECREASE OF BLACK GAME. 125 



ing land improvements, etc., during the last twenty years, and to 

 verify reports as to corresponding increase and decrease of 

 the two species. 



In this neighbourhood also — ^parish of Dunipace, Stirling- 

 shire — twenty years ago, black game were common at a 

 locality only about a mile from this house. Drainage opera- 

 tions were carried out to a considerable extent, and black 

 game entirely disappeared. Capercaillies arrived and became 

 fairly established about 1867 in the spruce and pine woods of 

 Torwood and Denovan, wliich partially surround the moor- 

 land locality in question. No drainage of any consequence 

 has taken place for very many years. Black game returned 

 to the locality of their own accord three years ago (1875), 

 and have since then been increasing slowly but steadily. 

 Capercaillies at the same time are tolerably common. The 

 nature of the land admits of both species thriving and in- 

 creasing, for while the Torwood forest has been partly drained, 

 old wood cut, and the ground replanted, the moorland haunt 

 of the black game has almost returned to its normal state, the 

 same as before it was drained at all. 



To open draining on estates in Scotland, and to other 

 land improvements, injuring or destroying the natural grasses 

 and drying up the land, is attributable, I believe, the marked 

 decrease in black game which many proprietors lament. 



Mr. Eobert CoUett writes me as follows : — " As to the 

 decrease of the black game, effected by the spreading of the 

 Capercaillie, I am sure that it must be on very rare occasions 

 that these birds offend each other. They have in Norway 

 their different localities, which they prefer to others, and 

 their own breeding-grounds, and I have very seldom heard of 

 any fighting between them. In Norway I never heard of 

 any corresponding decrease and increase of the named species. 

 Although certainly both tctrix (black game) and urugallus 

 (Capercaillie) are straggling birds, and may be found in num- 



