EXTENSION IN FIFESHIRE. 77 



at Pitlour (32 miles from Q ), near Auchtermuchty, probably 

 coming from the direction of the Bridge of Earn district, where, 

 as has been shown under Perthshire, the woods are not exten- 

 sive, and are greatly mixed with hard wood. Nor did establish- 

 ment take place at Pitlour or in Fife until 1871 or 1872. 



1871-2. Established at Pitlour as above stated, and in 

 1873 from eight to ten were seen in a day, and six were shot 

 in a season. They are not preserved, but are thought to be 

 increasing in a wood of some 250 acres. 



About the same time stray birds appeared at Nether 

 Kinneddar, in the south-west corner of the county (37 miles 

 from O > these having probably strayed from the separately- 

 introduced stock at Tulliallan centre, in the detached 

 part of Perthshire, near Kincardine-on-Forth, as mentioned 

 under the latter county. They have never become fairly 

 established here ; although birds remain during the breeding 

 season they do not stay throughout the year, but repair to 

 larger covers on West Grange, Tulliallan, and Brucefield, the 

 woods on Nether Kinneddar being, as yet, too young, and not 

 of great extent auct. W. C. C. Erskine, Esq. 



1873. Two birds appeared at Pitfirrane, near Dunfermline 

 (40 miles from Q ), where there are some 200 acres of old 

 fir and mixed wood. At present they are seen here every 

 spring, but do not remain. An attempt was made to intro- 

 duce them by eggs from Taymouth, but an unusually wet 

 season (1877) killed the young birds auct. Mr. Thompson, 

 head gamekeeper, Pitfirrane. 



1874. An introduction, which eventually proved success- 

 ful, took place at Lathirsk (37 miles from Q ), near Falkland, 

 at which latter place, however, they are said to have appeared 

 before they were introduced at Lathirsk. The introduction 

 was from Monzie, in Perthshire. 



1875. In the spring of 1874 or 1875 a male bird was seen 

 at Lathockar, in the east of Fife, supposed to have wandered 



