2 4 o OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



cording to good authority, the blackcock is by no 

 means particular in his choice of a wife, and is just 

 as ready to marry out of his class as in it, for he 

 has been known to mate with the grouse, the 

 pheasant, and the willow grouse. 



But whatever his moral shortcomings, he is a 

 most truly excellent bird, whether for sport or 

 for food, and very handsome withal. As .is so 

 generally the case with the feathered tribes, the 

 male birds appear to get all the fun and wear all 

 the fine clothing, whilst their unfortunate wives 

 are condemned to do all the hard work and 

 drudgery of the establishment, and to dress accord- 

 ingly. Unfair as it may appear, I fear that such 

 is by no means infrequently the case with human 

 bipeds as well as feathered, though there are 

 evident reasons why the custom should obtain 

 amongst the latter, which are wanting with regard 

 to the former. 



Whereas the blackcock is an inhabitant of other 

 countries than Britain, the red grouse is all our 

 own, for nowhere is it to be found save in these 

 islands. A truly royal bird, too, beautiful in 

 plumage, affording the best of good sport under 

 all circumstances, and incomparable of its kind for 

 the table. 



Although more especially confined to the 

 Northern counties, it is to be found fairly well 

 distributed throughout Wales. The Yorkshire 

 grouse have always appeared to me to be 

 superior to those of any other county. Why this 



