6 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



The nest, a slight hollow scratched in the ground and lined 

 with a scanty layer of grass, heather, etc., is usually placed 

 on the sunny side of a tuft of heather, and preference as regards 

 its site seems to be given to an area on which the heather is 

 moderately well grown rather than where it is rank. Birds 

 will always nest in a place where they can see all round, if 

 possible, hence their avoidance of long heather. 1 



Dry ground is always preferred ; birds will not nest on 

 boggy or damp ground, and are more likely to leave their nests 

 on account of wet than for any other reason. 



On some moors where the heather has been very closely 

 burnt or the stock is unusually large, the Grouse appear to be 

 unable to find nesting ground exactly suited to their require- 

 ments, and on these occasions they will boldly depart from 

 their usual habits and will nest in short heather, flat dead 

 bracken, or even on a bare unsheltered piece of burnt ground, 

 leaving the nest as open as that of the Lapwing. It is important 

 to note that in all cases open sites devoid of all covering are 

 preferred to really long overgrown heather. 



The time of nesting varies according to the season and the 

 latitude. As a rule most of the eggs are laid by the latter end 

 of April and the beginning of May ; but a case has been reported 

 of eggs being found as early as March 28th, and the Rev. W. B. 

 Daniel records that " on the 5th of March, 1794, the Game- 

 keeper of Mr Lister (now Lord Ribblesdale), of Gisburne Park, 

 discovered on the Manor of Twitten, near Pendle Hill, a brood of 

 Red Grous seemingly about ten days old, which could fly about 

 as many yards at a time. This was an occurrence never known 

 to have happened before so early in the year." ; Macdonald 



1 MacJonald in "Grouse Disease," makes the following statement: "The happiest 

 condition in which a nest can be found is in growing heather of about a foot in length, 

 and in tin; immediate proximity of short young heather." (Macdonald "Grouse 

 Disease," p. 23. London : W. H. Allen & Co., Ltd., 1883.) And in another place lie 

 louse-never nest amongst old, rough heather, always in a little tuft at the 

 side or among the bent." (Ibid., p. 26.) Macpherson, in the Fur and Feather Series, 

 states that " It is a fallacy to suppose that Grouse like to nest in reri/ old heather." 

 (Fin and Feather Series, "The Grouse," p. 22. London : Longmans, Green & Co., 1894.) 



a Daniel, " Rural Sports," vol. iii., p. 108. London : Longmans, 1812. 



