Lost British Birds. 
9 
Cromwell, and the wasting away of the forests from other 
natural causes. He further says: “If we accept the 
above as the most probable causes, and come to examine 
into the details of the testimony, we find that it was not 
until the beginning of the eighteenth century that any large 
extent of young wood was planted, nor until the end of the 
eighteenth century that arboriculture became general in 
Scotland. The latter would appear to have been too late to 
afford any fresh sustenance to the indigenous Capercaillies, 
but it yielded an abundant supply by the date of the restora¬ 
tion of the species in 1837-38 for the reintroduced birds.” 
Here, then, with its evanishment, ends the first part of 
the Capercaillie’s history in Great Britain. Vanished 
indeed! The historian of the Great Auk has used the 
seemingly strange expression, “ The living Garefowl is ex¬ 
tinct ! ” which might well call up a smile in the uninformed 
reader, who does not know the value attached to preserved 
