CAPERCAILLIE AT TAYMOUTH. 221 



thus it has but too often happened that the 

 endeavours to establish this species, by the intro- 

 duction of a few birds of both sexes into a cir- 

 cumscribed territory, have been, by some unlucky 

 disaster, crushed in the outset. 



Through the kindness of a relative of Lord 

 Breadalbane, I am enabled to add a few particu- 

 lars connected with the present state and condition 

 of the capercaillie at Tay mouth (July 1850), 

 furnished by the intelligent head keeper, Mr. 

 Guthrie, to whose judicious management their 

 establishment and preservation are in a great 

 measure to be attributed. Ample details of the 

 most approved method of keeping the birds in 

 a state of confinement and of rearing the chicks 

 nearly similar to that pursued by Mr. Guthrie 

 are given in Mr. Yarrell's ' History of British 

 Birds'; but Mr. Guthrie found that the treatment 

 of the chicks, after the eggs had been hatched 

 under domestic hens, was attended with much 

 more difficulty than in the case of the pheasant. 

 Experience showed him that it was necessary 

 to move the coops to different parts of the forest 

 according to the state of the weather; placing 

 them, on a sunny day, under the shadow of 

 trees or among tall grass or fern; but during 

 damp or wet weather removing them to dry, bare, 

 or sandy spots. While transporting them from 



