THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 1& 



Every keeper knows too well the danger that attends the needless disturbance 

 of his beat at this time, especially in a high wind, which may carry the flushed 

 birds hundreds of yards from their home. Instinct and the call of Dj^turb- 

 the parents may guide them back ; but it is better that they should ^^^^°l^^ 

 be kept quiet. It has been noticed that when a young brood are desirable, 

 once upon the wing, in anything like a strong breeze, they appear to be unable 

 to alight with safety ; at the end of the flight they dash headlong into the 

 heather, or on to the ground, and frequently come to an untimely end. 



With the arrival of August 12th the Grouse comes into the glare of publicity, 

 and there is little relating to his life history between this date and the 

 end of the shooting season that is not known to the average sports- ^ 



. ... Grouse m 



man ; but even so there are variations in their habits in difl'erent the shoot- 

 ing season, 

 localities which still remain a mystery, and it may be worth while 



to mention some of these. 



While in the majority of cases the birds appear to be wild in proportion 

 to their growth, this does not seem to be the only factor in the case, for in 

 some districts on the west coast, notably in Skye, Grouse will sit close through- 

 out the shooting season. It has been said that the reason for this is that in 

 the districts in question birds of prey survive in larger numbers than elsewhere, 

 and that the Grouse has not lost its instincts of self-preservation against 

 the attack of its natural enemies. This may be true, but is not altogether 

 convincing, for it is well known that to sit close is no protection against the 

 Eagle, though it may be against the Falcon. The Grouse instinctively knows 

 this, and the appearance of an Eagle, or even a Heron, is the signal for 

 all those on the alert to fly in terror to some distant place of safety. 



Grouse feed oS" and on throughout the day ; but it is only in the evening 

 that the crop retains the food which is then required for use during F^e^^i^g^ 



the night. Grouse. 



It is often stated that Grouse feed only in the evening, but the observations 

 of the Committee make it quite clear that this is not the case. It may be 

 observed in passing that at midday the Grouse appear to feed less, and 

 towards evening far more than at any other time. Midday is given up 

 to rest, and, in summer, to shelter from the heat of the sun, and the evening 

 devoted to the complete filling of the crop with food for digestion during the 

 night. Colquhoun in "The Moor and the Loch" refers to this habit as 

 follows : " In sultry weather they lie quite still except at feeding time, and not 



