222 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



one place to another he "put the chicks into 

 a small woollen bag, and the hen into a basket 

 covered with a cloth to keep her in the dark." 

 When a fortnight or three weeks had elapsed 

 he did not think it necessary to move the coops. 

 He remarks, " After a time I gave the young 

 birds very little food out of hand, except wild 

 berries, and as soon as I got them to feed on the 

 larch branches, I considered them safe. The 

 Scotch fir is rather hard for their bills when 

 young." 



In 1838 and 1839, Lord Breadalbane received 

 from Norway fifty-four adult capercaillie : about 

 two-thirds of which were females. Some of them 

 were liberated in the forest, and others kept in a 

 large aviary for the purpose of procuring the eggs. 

 The plan of placing these in the nests of grey 

 hens, subsequently pursued by Mr. Guthrie, 

 proved eminently successful. The birds have 

 steadily increased of late years, and now " all the 

 old woods about Taymouth Castle are full of 

 capercaillie, such as Drummond Hill, Kenmore 

 Hill, Croftmorraig Hill, &c. Several migrate 

 every season down to Strath Tay, Blair Athol, 

 Dunkeld and the woods about CriefF;" so that 

 the truly noble enterprise originally undertaken 

 by Lord Breadalbane has been crowned with per- 

 fect success, and the king of the game birds may 



