ItiJ WITH XATJ^nE ASD A CAMEBA. 



of an ordinary " eluirelnvarden " and six or seven 

 inches of stem, I would at any time midcrtake to 

 create sucli magic sounds as woidd effectually deceive 

 the most experienced gamekeeper, shepherd, or old 

 cock Grouse that ever crossed a moor. ' 



The great secret of successful ''becking''' is to 

 get on to the ground wlun-e it can be don6 before 

 tlu' birds begin to stir in the morning, to keep 

 well out of sight, and to call crcditablv. 



As a rule, Grouse are very talkative, and come 

 well to call on frosty mornings between the first 

 peep of day and sunrise ; but directly the sun shows 

 its ruddy disc above the Eastern hills, they Ijecome 

 as silent as the grave. The fact is grace has l)een 

 said and breakfast begun. On some mornings when 

 conditions appear to be ideal the l)irds arc almost 

 silent, and keep on flying restlessly to and fro, and 

 a wet day generally J&ollows. 3[ost poachers who 

 go "becking" prefer a misty to a frosty morning, 

 as the birds will come quite as well to their imitative 

 blandishments, and often continue to do so right up 

 till noon ; hiding is also easier, and the report of 

 a gun travels but little. 



On frosty mornings birds will tiy long distances, 

 by stages, to answer a call, and I have Ijrouglit 

 them so close that a shot would have blown tliem 

 to pieces. Hens often respond quite as well as 

 cocks. If tlu; "becker" happens to start calling 

 close to a company of Grouse, an old male will run 

 up on to a "knowe" or (^ther emiiK'nce, and if ho 

 catches sight of his deceiver at once utters his 

 alarm-note of "(Nx-k, cock, cock I " and ili(>s away; 

 but if not, iind lie is bowled ovei', another and 

 another will in all ])robability run up and take his 

 place until four or live victims have been ac- 

 counted foi-. 



