HOW TO PRESERVE ALL BIRDS. 207 



for it did not pay to keep them only to find 

 their way into pies. 



But it is so ridiculously easy to shoot a 

 tame pigeon. So different from killing a wild 

 mountain grouse ! In very remote parts of 

 Scotland where grouse have never been shot at, 

 we have occasionally found them as tame as the 

 boobies which the sailors knock on tlie head in 

 the South Sea Islands. On three different 

 occasions we remember throwing our hats at 

 grouse to make them fly as they persisted in 

 running, scolding, and chattering, and jerking 

 their wings and tails in their most impertinent 

 manner under our feet and under the dogs' 

 noses, and these were all full-grown, strong 

 birds. Young squeakers always lie hid until 

 almost trodden on and then fly as far as they 

 can. One of these parties of unsophisticated 

 grouse so scandahsed a very excellent dog who 

 found them at some distance from us, that we 

 saw him get up, turn tail, and slink away, and 



