SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF THE "TWELFTH." 63 



writers on the subject. No doubt, also, the grouse do give 

 some grounds for the supposition by their habit of " flight- 

 ing " at daybreak, and by being generally found during the 

 early hours of the day on short " feeding heather." But, as 

 already stated, grouse never feed till evening. I speak only 

 of heather-fed birds, having had no experience of those 

 which (by the proximity of oat stubbles) have been 

 " educated " up to a corn diet. That this is the case can 

 easily enough be proved. Open the crops of a dozen grouse, 

 say at 8 or 10 a.m. ; they will be found empty, except a few 

 stray heather shoots or rush seeds. These are apparently 

 picked up in pure carelessness, or for amusement. Perhaps 

 there will also be found a few bits of gravel, taken to aid 

 digestion. But every one knows that the crops of grouse 

 killed towards dusk are choke-full of heather shoots ; an old 

 cock will contain a breakfast cupful. I mention this point 

 in order to show that any " strategic operations " based on 

 the assumption that the grouse will be on the feed in the 

 early morning, are {q.v.) undertaken erroneously, and also 

 to show the advisability of holding in reserve till evening a 

 fair proportion of " going power," human and canine. Then, 

 in the closing hours of the day, the reserve power can be 

 utilized most effectively. The birds being scattered on the 

 feed are easier to find, lie closer, and are more apt to rise 

 separately. Thus each covey will, perhaps, yield several 

 fair shots, and between 5 and 7 p.m. a moderate bag may be 

 converted into a heavy one by the sportsman who knows how 

 to abide his time. 



To experienced and skilful grouse-shooters these few 

 random notes will, no doubt, appear trite and crude enough ; 

 but all are not experienced, and it is a prevalent mistake to 

 regard dogs as mechanical automata, and grouse-shooting as 

 merely an affair of so many hours' walking on the heather. 

 Possibly the perusal of these few hints (should they do 

 me the honour to digest them) may be of some advantage 

 to the rising generation, of whom every succeeding year 

 brings forward a fresh contingent, to enter for their first 

 " Twelfth." 



