158 FIELD NOTES FOR THE YEAR. 



In my opinion this wholesale system of poaching might 

 easily be put a stop to by the proprietors of the land, who, by 

 stringent agreements with their sheep-tenants and cottars, 

 might prevent all trespassing on the hills, much more easily 

 than the tenants of shootings can do ; and really considering 

 the great profit in many ways that this bird is to the High- 

 land landowners, it seems both their interest and duty to 

 protect and assist sportsmen in every possible manner in 

 preserving the game : whereas, let the matter be glossed over 

 as it may, every lessee of grouse shootings knows how very 

 little assistance and encouragement he receives from nine 

 proprietors out of ten, notwithstanding the liberal and some- 

 times exorbitant rents which are paid. There are, however, 

 many exceptions to this state of things ; and landlords are 

 yet to be found who identify the interest of their tenants 

 with their own. 



The rage for grouse-shooting, at present so great, is not 

 likely to change, like many other fashions. The fine air, the 

 freedom, the scenery, and all the other agremens accompany- 

 ing this amusement, must always make it the most fascinating 

 kind of sport in the way of shooting which the British isles, 

 or indeed almost any country, can afford. The bird, too, in 

 beauty and gamelike appearance, is not to be equalled. In 

 fact as long as grouse and heather exist, and the nature of 

 man is imbued with the same love for sport and manly 

 exercise as it now is, grouse-shooting will be one of our 

 favourite relaxations from the graver cares of life. 



Although, like others, I am excessively fond of this sport, 

 yet I care little for numbers of slain ; and when following it 

 independently and alone, am not occupied solely by the 

 anxiety of bagging so many brace. My usual plan when I 

 set out is to fix on some burn, some cool and grassy spring, 

 or some hill summit which commands a fine view, as the 

 extremity of my day's excursion. To this point then I walk, 

 killing what birds come in my way, and after resting myself 

 and dogs, I return by some other route. Undoubtedly the 

 way to kill the greatest number of grouse is to hunt one 

 certain tract of ground closely and determinedly ; searching 

 every spot as if you were looking for a lost needle, and not 

 leaving a yard of heather untried. This is the most killing 

 system, as every practised grouse-shooter knows ; but to me 

 it is far less attractive than a good stretch across a range of 

 valley and mountain, though attended with fewer shots. I 



