CAPERCALZIE SHOOTING. 43 



with this magnificent bird, whose noble size and 

 beauty rendered it the favourite quarry of the sports- 

 man. Its extirpation in Ireland dates from an 

 early period. Smith alludes to this bird in his His- 

 tory of Ireland, completed in 1749, as extinct since 

 the demolition of the Irish woods. The last caper- 

 calzie, recorded as killed in Scotland, met his death 

 in the vicinity of Inverness, more than sixty years 

 back. Thus the destruction in the Highlands was 

 infinitely more gradual in its character. By the 

 exertions of many noblemen and gentlemen, princi- 

 cipally of North Britain, the capercalzie bids fair to 

 become once more the denizen and adornment of 

 our woods. Lord Fife made strenuous efforts to- 

 wards its naturalization. These were at first unsuc- 

 cessful. The earliest importation from Sweden took 

 place in 1828 ; but the male bird died. The follow- 

 ing year affairs were better managed. In 1838-9, 

 Lord Breadalbane made some attempts that were at 

 once successful, for from forty-nine couples that he 

 received, of which he turned out a portion, and kept 

 the remainder in confinement, seventy-nine young 

 birds, in 1839, were accounted to be hatched. Birds 

 have been reared in confinement at Mr. Fowell Bux- 

 ton's estate in Norfolk. The Duchess of Athol had 

 some of these birds, and some birds have been 

 hatched in the aviary at Knowsley. Mr. Colquhoun 

 mentions an interesting fact relative to these birds. 

 He says the young capercalzie thrive better under the 

 foster care of the grey hen, than if left to maternal 



