62 



GAME BIRDS AND SHOOTING-SKETCHES 



During the wiiiter moiitlis Blaekgame do not feed on 

 the shoots of the Scotch fir to the extent that Capercaillie 

 do ; in fact, I think they seldom eat them at all except in 

 A^ery severe weather, when the whole of their food is found 

 on the trees. They generally prefer the buds of the birch 

 to anything else, and if surprised during their hours of 

 repast, which are generally in the early morning and late 



EVENING AT THE LOCH-SIDE. 



afternoon, they do not manifest that extraordinary degree 

 of shyness which is inherent in the species. 



That they do not feed on the pine and larch tops to the 

 extent that Russian or Norwegian l)irds do can be easily 

 imao-ined, for Blackoame will not eat these unless driven 

 to do so through hunger. In our comparatively mild 

 winter the birds have seldom to rough it for any long 

 period, whereas the foreigners generally have to endure 

 months and months of privation. This particular food 



