THE GROUSE DISEASE. 35 



of the blackcock forms tlie favourite ornament 

 for the peasants' hats, the foresters told us they 

 never visit the corn-fields, and could scarcely 

 believe that they would eat corn. There is 

 hardly a moor in Scotland where a few acres 

 could not be cultivated, or where grouse do 

 not akeady find their way to our fields to pick 

 up the wretched pittance we leave them. Our 

 Highland proprietors must not grudge a little 

 expense for the beautiful birds whose presence 

 on their lands brings them in such large 

 rentals. The crop should be left on purpose 

 for them in certain small fields. They would 

 visit these as long as a grain of corn was to 

 be picked up, and grain should be put down 

 regularly with a liberal hand if the weather 

 become severe. What is even 30/. or 40Z. 

 spent in corn compared to a shooting rental 

 of 500/. per annum ? and no one grudges the 

 food the breeding stock of pheasants eat in 

 the winter. We may be wrong, but we feel 

 convinced this plan would do far more tov/ards 



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