235 



Capercailize. 



and hand-rearing, resulted, in the year 1865, in the Mar- 

 quis of Breadalbane counting some 1500 head upon his 

 estate. From this centre the breed has increased and 

 become fairly plentiful all along the Valley of the Tay as 

 far as Dunkeld, the estates of the Duke of Atholl and Lord 

 Breadalbane being peculiarly suited to the habits of these 

 birds. They have now extended, in greater or less 

 number, into the surrounding counties, and eventual 

 abundance in "all suitable parts of the country should be 

 only a question of time, interest, and money. 



I have been at some pains to ascertain the present 

 position as regards numbers and increase of capercailzie in 

 Scotch forests, and no doubt the information will be of 

 interest. In Kinross and Fife there are fair numbers, in 

 Perthshire and Inverness they are plentiful and increasing, 

 and in Argyllshire there are fair numbers, which are 

 extending southwards. In Kincardine, however, they have 

 decreased since 1900. 



The capercailzie is essentially a bird of the woods, 

 although not by any means confining its life to an existence 

 in the trees. The greater portion of its time is spent 

 beneath the boughs, but during cold and snowy weather and 

 at night-time the bird perches, and prefers to remain 

 amongst the branches. It is shy, and mostly seeks safety 

 by running, so that its chief quality as a bird of sport 

 lies more in the difficulty of getting near it than of shoot- 

 ing it when seen. Its haunts are typical of the country 

 from which it has been re-introduced, namely, Norway 

 among the thickest parts of beech and fir woods, in the 

 wildest, rudest brake-grown sides of the deep valleys 

 through which many of the Scottish rivers meander. 



In the early part of April the first pairings are com- 

 menced, and a month later the nesting takes place. The 

 nest is made upon the ground, generally beneath the 



