144 GMIE PRESERYEES AM) BIRD PRESERVERS. 



CHAPTEE XIII. 



THE BLACK GROUSE AND THE PARTRIDGE. 



IToTHiK^G has surprised us more than to find 

 that that fine bird the black grouse is hterally 

 not mentioned in all this evidence. Not a 

 natiurahst has a word to say for him, while the 

 disappearance of such birds as the siskin or 

 garden warbler is constantly regretted, and we 

 ransack other countries and import and try to 

 acclimatise quails and let this splendid creature 

 become extinct. There can be no reason why 

 he should not be fairly numerous in at least 

 half our English counties and in many parts of 

 Ireland. Heather is not a necessary of hfe to 

 him. Give him a rushy grass field to be hatched 

 and reared in, a corn-field to spend the autumn 

 evenings upon, and a snug birch wood where 



