CHAPTER XVII. 



EXTENSION IN SOUTH OF SCOTLAND. 



AYRSHIKE. 



AN attempt to introduce the Capercaillie into Ayrshire was 

 made in 1841 or 1842, both by birds and eggs, at the aviary 

 at Glenapp, belonging to Lord Orkney. All the eggs were 

 hatched out, and in 1843, in September, nine healthy birds 

 were seen there by the author of ' The Birds of Ireland ' (q. v.. 

 vol. ii. p. 33). But by the year 1848 they again became extinct, 

 in which year the last of these introduced birds was found 

 dead in the open on the farm of Downan. The birds and eggs 

 brought to Glenapp came from Taymouth. The plantations 

 on Glenapp were at that time too small and too scattered 

 to keep them, and the birds either wandered and were shot 

 down, or died, succumbing to the adverse conditions around 

 them. It is thought that, now the plantations have increased 

 and grown to a suitable size, if another introduction were 

 attempted it would prove more successful. 



Lord Ailsa's gamekeeper at Culzean, obtained eggs from 

 Arran, and got some of them hatched out, but none of the 

 birds came to maturity. 



A bird was reported to have been killed on the 12th 

 August 1877, at Old Cumnock, by Captain E. M. Campbell, 

 but I have failed to obtain proper authentication of the fact ; 

 indeed, he himself cannot corroborate it. 



