550 MODERN FARRIER. 



inclined to rain, they will generally be found about 

 midway on the hills ; and when the v, eather is very 

 bad, the buts of the mountains are the places they 

 frequent ; in fine weather they will be found near 

 the tops. These birds go to water immediately 

 after tlieir morning flight, which is the proper time 

 to begin the days diversion ; from that time till the 

 extreme heat of the day comes on, good sport may 

 be obtained ; also from three o'clock till sun-set. 

 During the dead time of tlie day, grouse frequently 

 creep into deep roots, and mossy places, to screen 

 themselves from the excessive heat of the sun. 



These birds are found in different parts of the 

 world, and are of various kinds ; but those of Great 

 Britain are known by the name of red grouse, or 

 moor-game, and are much larger than the partridge, 

 the male weighing about nineteen ounces. The bill 

 is black, the eyes hazel coloured, the throat red, the 

 plumage on the head and neck a light tawny red, 

 every feather being marked with several transverse 

 bars of black ; the back and scapulars are a deeper 

 red, and on the middle of every feather is a large 

 black spot ; the breast and belly are of a dull pur- 

 plish-brown colour, crossed with narrow dusky lines ; 

 the quill feathers are dusky ; the tail consists of six- 

 teen black feathers, the four middlemost barred 

 with red ; the thighs are a pale red obscurely bar- 

 red with black ; the legs and feet of the old birds 

 are clothed down to the claws with thick, soft, 

 white and brown feathers ; and the outer and inner 

 toes are connected to the first joint by a small mem- 

 brane. Grouse are called poalts till they are a year 

 old. The female weighs about fifteen ounces : her 

 colours, in general, are less vivid, having more of 

 the white and less of the red feathers than the male. 

 They feed on mountain berries and the undertops 

 of heath. 



Grouse pair very early in the spring, and the fe- 

 male lays from eight to twelve or thirteen eggs, in 



