BIRDS. 



285 



the wind-storm of 1893, however, which levelled so many of the 

 pines." 



In the north and north-west Capercaillies are known to have 

 reached Rannoch as far as Camusericht ; and it was known to 

 have nested there occasionally by that time. 



It has also made its way out of Glen Dochart in the south-west 

 over into Argyll, but not as yet in force ; nests, however, have been 

 known for the past few years. 



One of these great waves," so to speak, of productiveness which 

 appear periodically, as well amongst birds as amongst mammals, 

 appears to have taken place recently at what may still be considered 

 the " head-centre " of their population — viz. at Dunkeld. In 1897, 

 and again in 1902, Mr. W. Evans was assured of a very great increase 

 there, and the bags I will presently quote bear this out completely, 

 and, it may be safely predicted, will result in a further great con- 

 gestion and outflow in some direction.^ 



In the shooting season of 1903, 67 Capercaillies were shot in one 

 day, and as I was informed by Mr. Heatley Noble, who was one of 

 the sportsmen present, " if hens had been killed all the afternoon, 

 over 100 could easily have been bagged " (in lit.^ January 1904). This 

 was on the Dunkeld estates. 



But in the following season this record was beaten, and 70 were 

 shot in one day. It is understood that this constituted the record 

 for Britain; but Mr. J. G. Millais tells us that "these record bags" 

 have been equalled, if not exceeded, on the same ground — as many as 

 70 having been obtained in one day upon the Duchess-Dowager of 

 AthoU's grounds at Dunkeld in the season of 1902 ! 



Many other good bags could be quoted, but that seems unneces- 

 sary ; but the above clearly indicates what part of the area occupied 

 by the birds shows the " head-centre " of their present distribution. 



I am not aware whether any Capercaillies have penetrated up the 

 Earn and reached Lochearnhead, but I would not be surprised to 

 learn that they have occasionally been seen among the hardwoods 

 of Edinchip during the nesting season. 



Of varieties in plumages of this bird there are many, but it seems 

 to be less subject to variation in this country than in the older 

 possessions in Scandinavia. In 1871 I saw a wonderful collection of 

 colour-variations in the Museum at Christiania — a whole long case 



^ There have been many extensive young plantations formed, since my original essay 

 was printed, on the slopes of the moors to the north of the Highland Railway 

 between Struan and Dalnaspidal. 



