26 GA^ilE TRESEEYERS AND BIRD PRESERVERS. 



explain why, while we have seen the partridge, 

 wood-pigeon, stariing, and house-sparrow, in- 

 crease in still greater numbers, and for the same 

 reason — the destruction of the creatures which 

 prey upon them — and yet show not the slightest 

 signs of degeneration, our own beautiful British 

 game bird, the grouse, can only be kept in health 

 by being subjected to this cruel ordeal ? As Dr. 

 Gunther expresses it in answer to a question by 

 the Hon. A Herbert, 'This is an hypothesis 

 easily rebutted by other evidence and not borne 

 out by any other facts observed in the animal 

 kingdom.' Then Mr. Tegetmeier has published 

 it as his opinion that the cm^e for the grouse 

 disease is to preserve our birds of prey, ' as they 

 always kill the weak birds and leave the strong- 

 est to breed.' 



We beheve that a more erroneous idea was 

 never promulgated, and we write from living 

 among the grouse and their enemies all the 

 year round, not from visiting the moors for a 

 few weeks in the autumn. 



