Mr. W. Thompson on the Bu-ds of Ireland. 33 



tru7n nigrum, there called heather-berry. My friend just alluded to 

 has frequently found oats in the crops of grouse killed in the last- 

 named locality. 



The Capercailzie or Wood Grouse — Tetrao Urogallus, Linn. — 

 has unfortunately long been extinct in this country. Giraldus, in 

 his ' Topographia Hibernica,' states, that this species (called by him 

 Pavo sylvestris) was more common in Ireland than the red grouse, 

 about the twelfth century. When the island was covered with na- 

 tive woods one can imagine that it may have been so, but even if 

 less abundant, the nature of its haunts might cause it to be more 

 frequently met with than the red grouse, and consequently its be- 

 ing considered more common. The Irish statutes 11 Anne, ch. 7, 

 recite, " that the species of cocks of the wood''' (a fowl peculiar to 

 this khigdom) is in danger of being lost," and prohibits the shooting 

 of them " for seven years." Smith, in his ' History of Cork' (1749) 

 observes, that "it is now found rarely in Ireland, since our woods 

 have been destroyed." Rutty, in his ' Natural History of Dublin' 

 (1772), mentions that " one was seen in the county of Leitrim about 

 the year 1710, but they have entirely disappeared of late, by reason 

 of the destruction of our woods." — Vol. i. p. 302. Pennant, in his 

 ' British Zoology' (1776), states that "about the year 17G0 a few 

 were to be found about Thomastown, county of Tipperary." The 

 27th Geo. III. " prohibits kilHng moor game, heath game, grouse, 

 pheasant, partridge, quail, land rail, and loild turkey, between the 

 10th of January and 1st of September f." Whether by wild turkey 

 the wood grouse is meant, may perhaps be considered uncertain. 

 There is no uncertaintv, however, in the following instance. From 

 tlie Rev. Mr. Dubourdien's ' Survey of the County of Antrim,' pub- 

 lished in 1812, we learn that " wild turkeys are now nearly extinct, 

 though once in such numbers at the former place [Portmore] ; the 

 breed, the true copper colour, with red legs " ! 



Black Grouse, Tetrao Tetrix, Linn. — For a long period this fine 

 bird has certainly not been a native of Ireland ; and that it ever 

 was so is at least doubtful. I have not met with any satisfactory 

 evidence of its being indigenous. Smith, in his ' History of Water- 

 ford' (1745), remarks — " It is uncertain if we have not the Urogallus 

 minor, Raii, viz. the heath-cock or grouse of Willoughby, which I 

 take to be the black game of England, and is also an inhabitant of 

 the mountains." — Page 33G. The same author in his ' History of 

 Cork' says of "The black grouse (Tetrao seu Urogallus minor): — 

 lids species is frequent, and needs no particular description. It 



* Willoughby (1G7S) observes, " This bird is found on high mountains 

 bej-ond seas, and as we are told in Ireland (where they call it Cock of the 

 AVood), but nowhere in England." 



He concludes his description thus : "The flesh of this bird is of a delicate 

 taste and wholesoni nourislnnent, so that being so stately a bird, and withal 

 so rare, it seems to be born only for princes and great mens tables." ! 



I For these extracts from the Irish Statutes I am indebted to Francis 

 Whitla, Esq. 



Ann. i^ May. N. Hist. Volxa. D 



