248 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



They will not "cart" at all. True, one may find oneself 

 close alongside the greyhens ; but they are not nearly so 

 wild as their lords. They are emboldened by being 

 habitually spared, and thus, from carelessness, simplicity, 

 or confidence, they may disregard the proximity of a 

 cart. But the case is very different with the blackcock. 

 He is neither simple nor careless, nor apt to trust, and 

 he will never "cart." 



On approaching blackcocks with a cart, all are visibly 

 on the alert, with necks at full stretch, yet unable to 

 comprehend the meaning of the phenomenon. It may 

 be, they perhaps argue, only a harmless farm-cart ; but 

 if ever they commence so to grapple with the problem, 

 then distrust and suspicion invariably supersede reasoning 

 powers, and they take wing at 100 yards. 



The failure of the stratagem in this case arises, there- 

 fore, from no superior intellectual development in the 

 blackcock, as compared with grouse, but really the 

 reverse. Intellectually, Tetrao tetrix is inferior, since 

 cunning, distrust, and suspicion predominate over reason 

 and calculating power. It is, in short, in despite of his 

 mental capacity, rather than by virtue thereof, that he 

 escapes. 



That the blackcock is devoid of intelligence is not 

 conveyed, and such deduction would be absurdly erroneous. 

 In reasoning out this particular problem, he (luckily for 

 himself) fails, or at least falls behind the grouse. But on 

 other occasions, he often displays fine level-headed coolness 

 and judgment in face of danger. Thus, while driving, a 

 pack of blackcocks may pitch on some ridge just short of 

 the line of butts ; and will then deliberately remain there, 

 despite frequent firing within two or three gunshots of 

 their position. There they sit, in full view, quietly await- 



