BLACKC4AME 



85 



will tell vou liow fond the PereOTine is of strikino^ Black- 

 game should they pass him when he is out on one of his 

 marauding expeditions. He will not go a yard out of his 

 way to strike at them, but w^oe to the unlucky one that 

 does cross his path : he would stand a much better chance 

 of savino- his life in the hottest of hot corners than when 



ATTITUDES OF THE BLACKCOCKS OX THE APPROACH OF A GEEYHEX. 



that living thunderbolt drops from the clouds. I have 

 two or three times seen a Peregrine strike Grouse, but 

 never Blackgame ; but I once saw a little Merlin dash at 

 a Blackcock and send him sprawding into some birches 

 below. Now was a good chance of seeing some fun, I 

 thouQ-ht, for I was wonderino- how the little fellow would 

 hold him down to the ground once having got him there, 

 so I accordingly started towards them at full speed ; but 



