Notices of New Books. 3019 



given in Mr. Yarrell's ' History of British Birds ;' but Mr. Guthrie 

 found that the treatment of the chicks, after the eggs had been hatched 

 under domestic hens, was attended with much more difficulty than in 

 the case of the pheasant. Experience showed him that it was neces- 

 sary to move the coops to different parts of the forest, according to 

 the state of the weather ; placing them, on a sunny day, under the 

 shadow of trees or among tall grass or fern ; but during damp or wet 

 weather, removing them to dry, bare, or sandy spots. While trans- 

 porting them from 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, Croftmor- 

 raig 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 perfect success, and the king of the game birds may 

 now be said to be restored to his hereditary dominions." — Page 221. 



The Arctic Ocean * 



" My brother Harry having embarked with Sir John Franklin, in 

 1845, it need not be wondered at, that, as year after year wore on, 

 and still there came no intelligence, I, as well as the rest of my family, 

 began to feel anxiety. I incidentally heard of Mr. William Penney, 



* ' An Arctic Voyage to Baffins Bay and Lancaster Sound, in Search of Friends 

 with Sir John Franklin.' By Robert Anstruther Goodsir, late President of the Royal 

 Medical Society of Edinburgh. London : Van Voorst, 1850. 



