170 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



in our county list. Among other instances, Mr. E. Baker, of Mere, 

 informs me that one of these birds was killed at West Knoyle, on a 

 farm in the occupation of Mr. J. Romsey. It was shot by a party 

 of sportsmen while out Partridge shooting, in 1848, and was sent 

 to Sir Hugh Hoare, at Stourton. 



These birds, though infinitely more numerous than the Black 

 Game, are, unlike it, monogamous, neither are they ever known to 

 perch or roost in trees, as the Black Grouse does. The numbers 

 that are annually killed are something enormous, and the prices 

 given for a Grouse moor become higher and higher as time goes on. 

 In fact the presence of this bird turns land which would be otherwise 

 utterly worthless into a substantial source of income. Now that all 

 vermin is so narrowly looked after, the way the Red Grouse increases 

 is truly marvellous, and though the price realised for a moor makes 

 it, perhaps, imperative that the owner should stock it as well as 

 possible, by keeping down all causes antagonistic to its increase, yet 

 one would fain see more of some of our birds of prey about than are 

 now visible, and which, as long as they were not allowed to get too 

 numerous, would do as much good as harm, by keeping down the 

 weak and sickly birds. It has, indeed, been computed that " a 

 single nest of Peregrines would destroy, in a single season, nearly 

 three hundred brace of Grouse alone ^^ — truly a startling number, 

 and one which would seem to justify the preserver in extirpating 

 it altogether from his moor; while the following extract, as quoted 

 by Mr. Wood, in his Natural History of Birds, p. 72, also testifies 

 to the game-destroying propensities of the Peregrine. "Mr.Sinclair,'" 

 he says, " while exercising his dogs on the Belfast mountains, pre- 

 paratory to Grouse shooting, saw them point, and coming up, 

 startled a male Peregrine oflF a Grouse, just killed by him, and very 

 near the same place came upon the female bird, also upon a Grouse. 

 Although my friend lifted both the dead birds, the Hawks continued 

 flying about, and on the remainder of the pack, which lay near, 

 being sprung, either three or four more Grouse were struck down 

 by them — thus two-and-a-half or three brace were obtained by 

 means of these wild birds, being more than had ever been procured 

 out of a pack of Grouse by my friend's trained Falcons." This 



