THE GROUSE DISEASE. 2T 



Weakness in the grouse is not in any way 

 necessary to enable the hawk to kill him, nor, 

 ninety-nine times out of one hundred, is the 

 greatest amount of health and strength of the 

 shghtest avail to save him from his pursuer. 



The finest cock grouse in all Scotland has 

 no more chance of escape when he once rises 

 from the heather before the wild peregrine 

 falcon than an unfortunate rabbit would have if 

 Master M'Grath were slipped after him in the 

 middle of Sahsbury Plain. 



We have seen even the little merhn hawk 

 overtake in fair flight and kill an unusually 

 fine old grouse in the month of February ; and 

 a grouse came by pursued by the sparrow- 

 hawk in the month of January, and though by 

 shouting and throwing our hats at the hawk he 

 was compelled to make a wide detour, he 

 caught and killed his quarry before our eyes ; 

 and in a single walk straight through the hill in 

 the spring on one day we picked up the remains 

 of five grouse all killed by falcons within a 



