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The Gaelic Names of Birds. 59
of that, our iiativo kingdoui, made us not tlio inoro to trio their
nature ami necessity, and accordingly to give order for preparation
of everything that may, in any part, import the honour and credit
thereof. Which consideration, and the htowti. commoditie yee have
to provide capercaillies and, termiyantes, have moved us very
earnestly to request you to employ both your oune pains and the
travelles of your friendis, for provision of each kind of the saidis
foules, to be now and then sent to us be way of present, be means
of our deputy thesuarer, and so as the first sent thereof may meet
us on the 19th of April at Durham, and the rest as we shall happen
to meet and rancounter th^^m in other places on our way from
thence to Berwick. The raritie of these foules will both make
their estimation the more ))retious, and confirm the good opinion
conceaved of the good cheare to be had there. For which respectis,
not doubting but that yee will so much the more earnestlie endeavour
your.self to give us acceptable service, we bid you farewell.
At Whitehall, the Uth Marclie, 1617."
In my native Strathardle, these birds have increased so much that,
over a dozen years ago, I have seen them do a gi-eat deal of damage
to Scotch fir and spruce trees by cutting ofi" the previous year's
leading shoots ; tliough I well remember the first of them that
came to the district. When T was a boy at school, about 1860,
there came on, in harve.;t, a tremendous gale from the west ; and
it being then the holiday season, I was prowling about Kixidrogan
Rock, a few days after the great storm, when I came upon a great
black bird sitting ii]jon a tree, which I mistook for an eagle, only
I was very much puzzled about its being so black. I duly informed
my friend, the head keeper, about my black eagle, but he pooh-
poohed me and told me it was only a big raven ;
it shortly afterwards himself, and at once knew what bird it was,
and he and the other keepers agreed that it must have been blown
eastwai'ds by the great gale from the woods of A thole or Breadalbane—an
opinion with which I now quite agi'ee, as I have often
seen a capercaillie cock rise to a gi-eat height in the air and circle
about for a long time like an eagle, when, if a smart gale came
on, it might go a long distance before alighting. The woods of
Faskally, a dozen miles to the west, and separated by a high
range of mountains and bleak, open moors, was the nearest point
where the capercaillie was then known. However, come as he
may, he was there and stayed there, and was often seen during
the winter, but in early spring he disappeared, and it was thought
he was gone for good. However, he seemed only to have followed
the example of the patriarchs of old, and gone to his own couu
however, he saw