KEV1EWS. 
409 
With regard to the extinction of the Capercaillie in the British Islands 
about a century ago, the author is of opinion that this was due mainly to 
“ the destruction of great forest tracts by fire, the cutting down of the same 
by man and the wasting away of the forests from natural causes, by 
the conversion of dry forests into bogs and morasses, and, resulting from this, 
the decrease of, and changes in, the food of the species/’ which, as is well 
known, consists for the greater part of the young shoots of firs and larches. 
The increase of population, no doubt also, as suggested by Mr. Colquhoun. 
may have had some share in bringing about the extermination of the Wood 
Grouse ; but it is mainly to the destruction of the forests, with no adequate 
replacement by the systematic planting of new woods, that the author is 
inclined to ascribe the disappearance of the species. Some Irish writers of 
the last century who witnessed the extinction of the bird in Ireland, express 
the same opinion. 
The most interesting and important part of Mr. Brown’s book relates to 
the re-establishment in the British Islands of the great Wood Grouse, and is 
the result of a series of minute inquiries instituted by him with the object of 
obtaining precise information to be used by Professor Newton in his edition 
of “ Yarrell’s British Birds ” now in progress. From this we leam that, 
after several unsuccessful attempts, a considerable number of the birds im- 
ported from Sweden were introduced on the property of Lord Breadalbane 
at Taymouth in the autumn of 1837 and the spring of 1838, and that the 
progeny of these and subsequent colonists have not only established them- 
selves on a firm footing at the original locality, but have also, as detailed in 
the text, and shown very clearly on a small map accompanying this section 
of the book, spread in various directions over a considerable portion of east 
central Scotland. For the most part this redistribution has been effected by 
the birds themselves, and the means of watching in a convenient fashion the 
perfectly natural extension of a species over a large extent of country is thus 
afforded to the naturalist. The course of events seems to be somewhat as 
follows : — When the Capercaillie population of a given locality becomes too 
large for its resources in the way of food, some individuals (generally, if not 
always, females) start off in search of a new abode, at first naturally follow- 
ing the line of the valley in which they find themselves, but also not un- 
frequently taking a freer flight, sometimes to very considerable distances. 
The females usually precede the males by one or two years, and owing pro- 
bably to this circumstance, hybrids between the Black Cock and the Caper- 
caillie are not unfrequent in localities inhabited by the former. The estab- 
lishment of the species generally takes place very soon after the arrival of 
the males. 
On the mainland of Scotland unsuccessful attempts to establish the Caper- 
caillie have been made in several of the southern and western counties, and 
notably in Ayrshire; but in the island of Arran they have been introduced 
by means of birds obtained from Taymouth and Sweden in 1843 and 1846. 
The re-establishment in Britain of this fine game bird appears not to be 
regarded with unmixed satisfaction by all parties. At least two grievous 
charges are made against him — namely, that he causes considerable damage 
to young trees by feeding on their growing shoots, and that he drives away 
or otherwise causes a diminution in the number of the Black Grouse. Of 
