284 Northern Observations of Inland Birds 



It is an interesting sight to watch the descent of grouse 

 to the barley fields of moorland holdings during harvest 

 time, and at the hours of half light, as pictured by 

 Farquharson, Thorburn, and others. As a rule they are 

 ** unco' canny " in their approach, alighting in the 

 heather some hundred yards or so on the far side of the 

 wall bordering the field containing the barley sheafs, 

 and there, descending from the moor in strings, they 

 foregather with much crowing and chatter ere, led by some 

 bold adventurer, they proceed to their feeding grounds. 



Very excellent sport can sometimes be had by waiting 

 for them in concealment under the boundary walls of 

 a grain field, and one stands a good chance of a brace or 

 so of lordly blackcock in addition to a left and right at 

 the grouse as they come over. If left undisturbed to their 

 meal they assemble on the sheaves, presenting a very 

 pretty picture, but needless to say, the farmer does not 

 appreciate their presence there. 



The fact that grouse are far wilder on our southern 

 moors than on those of Caithness, Sutherland, and 

 Ross-shire has often been a subject of comment, and no 

 doubt the great areas given over to deer forests in the 

 north has something to do with this, as already described. 

 It is owing, also, to the wildness of the grouse in the 

 south, especially on the Yorkshire moors, that driving 

 has become the common order there, while it is still 

 usual on the north Highland moors to shoot grouse over 

 dogs. Another factor, however, enters into this question. 

 For driving to be really successful, the moor must be 

 more or less level, is on precipitous hillsides the birds 

 fly high, and unless the butts are very judiciously placed, 

 the majority of them pass out of range of the guns. Thus 

 many of the north Highland moors are far too steep and 

 rugged for successful driving, for, obviously, butts 

 placed on an almost perpendicular slope are likely to yield 

 very poor results. 



