The Capercaillie 
7 
birds the morning after the storm. These Capercaillie migrated eastwards to the woods 
on Loch Tay. 
"The inevitable law," says Harvie-Brown (p. no), "exists that there is a distinct 
limit to the population of a species in any one locality, regulated by the size, capabili- 
ties, and amenities of the area, and when the limit is reached and exceeded the surplus 
population is forced to seek new ground. Further, as the internal pressure continues 
and increases, the greater difficulties will be faced and surmounted by the pioneers, 
in order to fulfil the destiny of the species, and the amount of success achieved will 
depend upon the hardihood and ' fitness ' of the species in the struggle for existence. 
"The easiest and most natural courses of advance followed the valleys, up or down 
stream, or stretch along the wooded foothills and slopes, preferring, as already pointed 
out, the sunny expanses. This is clearly illustrated by the past, that Capercaillie, in a 
comparatively short space of time, reach and populate more remote localities in the 
directions whence the great valleys lead them, than they do in those directions where 
mountainous or treeless country intervenes." 
No doubt Mr. Harvie-Brown is correct that they do not cross mountain ranges 
unless they can view forest-covered country beyond, but I am convinced that they have 
on many occasions found their way to isolated covers, especially in Forfar, Fife, &c, 
to which they must have gone from great distances beyond the reach of vision. As 
previously stated, I saw a cock flying across the Firth of Tay, and nearing the coast 
at Tents Muir. It probably came from the Carnoustie woods, the nearest point on the 
north side, and a distance of about ten miles. Three miles further on it would reach 
the long isolated fir wood on Tents Muir, where there always has been a few Capers 
ever since I can remember. At the present time Capercaillie are most abundant in the 
following districts and places : the Tay valley, from Taymouth to Perth, and in all 
adjoining woods ; the valley of the Earn, from below Perth to Crieff ; Strathmore and 
about Fotheringham in Forfarshire; Sauchie (Stirlingshire), and Arran. 
The largest number of Capercaillie ever killed in one day was at Fotheringham, in 
November 1894. The birds had been increasing for some years, and it was considered 
that they were doing damage to the crops, so a battue was organised by Mr. Walter 
Fotheringham, and 107 birds fell to the guns. James Keay, our old keeper at Murthly, 
was present, and told me he had never seen so many Capercaillie in one day. The 
largest number killed in Perthshire was at Fowlis Wester, Earnside, in November 
1890, when 40 were bagged. I shot there the following year at the Caper shoot, and 
we only got 10, the keeper saying that the birds had almost deserted the big wood since 
the previous year. I have been one of the guns when the following bags of Caper- 
caillie have been made between 1883-1898: Ladywell (Dunkeld), 35 cocks; Logierait, 
33; Dupplin, 28, 27; Murthly, 28, 25, 22, 21, 20, 18, &c. ; Rohallion, 18 (12 cocks). 
In adjoining estates numbers less than 12 are often killed. No doubt a larger bag of 
Capercaillie could be killed at Taymouth than in any other northern estate, but the 
present Marquis of Breadalbane kills very few of the birds, as he likes to see them 
flying about. Neither does he allow his tenants to shoot them. In 1862 it was esti- 
mated that there were at least 1000 to 2000 birds on the Taymouth estates, but I think 
this was an over-estimate. When we rented the Murthly shooting on which there are 
