300 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



fullest extent. After bowing all round, and appar- 

 ently being satisfied that no one wished to dispute 

 his title to be considered the greatest swell present, 

 he proceeded to execute a kind of pas seul, which 

 seemed to consist of a double-shuffle, hop, skip, and 

 a jump, and was concluded by an almost complete 

 somersault. Four others then advanced towards the 

 open ground, two coming from either side. These 

 went through something like a set figure, advanced, 

 bowed, turned round, jumped over one another's 

 heads, turned round, bowed again, then retired." 

 Booth did not actually see any fighting, but, no 

 doubt, a settlement would have to be effected after- 

 wards by that method. The young Blackcock and 

 Greyhen were shot in the season in the same year 

 as the Red Grouse ; but as an old Blackcock does 

 not get his proper tail feathers till January, I had to 

 make a second expedition to Glenelg, in the begin- 

 ning of 1890. On this occasion, I had McKintosh's 

 keeper, John McKillop, with me, a first-rate man, 

 and, after a lot of patience, we succeeded in bagging 

 the two old birds in the case. I don't suppose there 

 is any bird more difficult to stalk than the old 

 Blackcock, for he seems to be possessed almost of 

 reasoning power. I remember on one occasion 

 John and I spotted a fine old bird sitting in a birch 

 tree, about a half to three quarters of a mile trom 

 the moorland road over which we were driving. 

 After alighting from the trap, we knew the ground 

 so favoured a stalk, that we could get within shot of 

 the bird without his being aware of our approach. 



