36 SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING 



for food were grouse, blackgame, and partridges, and thinking 

 that if the severe weather continued the birds would become 

 very poor and weak for the approaching breeding season, an 

 inspiration came to try to feed them ; so, purchasing some 

 unthrashed oat stocks from a farmer, the author and his 

 keeper chose a place on the moor they knew to be a favourite 

 haunt of game and railed off a small square with rails high 

 enough and strong enough to hinder catde or sheep from 

 reaching over or pushing them down, and then driving a stout 

 stake in the middle of the little enclosure a whole stook was 

 impaled on it, ears downward, and bound tightly round with 

 cord to hinder the wind from scattering it. It was wonderful 

 how quickly both from far and near the birds discovered the 

 initiation of these "penny dinners," for when they had been 

 going but three days we stalked the place one evening and 

 found it crowded with game of all sorts. Seeing the appre- 

 ciation was so great, as the stocks became exhausted some 

 maize was brought and strewn round the old stook daily, and 

 the birds soon learning to know the food-bearer did not fly 

 more than a hundred yards away, and perching on a hillock 

 would watch their meal put down and begin to return even 

 as the keeper departed. 



Donald Macdonald, who was then our keeper, always 

 stoutly maintained this food supply, which was kept up till 

 the middle of March, made the birds healthy and strong for 

 breeding, and in consequence of it our birds were a little 

 earlier in nesting that season than those on adjoining moors, 

 while also we had more nests and each nest had more eggs. 

 The result was, we killed one hundred and fifty more grouse, 

 seventy-two more blackgame, and eighty-five more partridges, 

 or a total of three hundred and seven head in excess of the 

 previous season. Ardconnell was sold in 1871 to Mr. Houlds- 

 worth, so that we had no further opportunity of continuing the 

 experiments ; but, though it is possible the increased bag was 

 due to a very good breeding season, we did not think so at 



