THE FOOD OF THE RED GROUSE 87 



obtained Grouse will flock to them in large numbers often 

 deserting the heather altogether for a while and congregating 

 in vast packs upon the berry ground. The blaeberry fruit 

 does not as a rule grow in such profusion as that of the 

 clusterberry or Scottish cranberry, and does not seem to 

 be so attractive to the Grouse, though its leaf and bud are 

 much more generally eaten at all times of the year. 



The August figures are interesting as showing the first Heather 

 indication of heather blossom in the diet. First in the bud, seeds. 

 afterwards in full bloom, and lastly in the form of fully ripened 

 seed, the flower of the heather is an important item of food. 

 There is an old saying that when the " stoor " (i.e., pollen 

 dust) is on the heather in August a good Grouse season is sure 

 to follow, and the experience of the Committee tends to confirm 

 this belief. In a year when the bloom is early and luxuriant 

 the pollen rises in clouds when disturbed, covering boots and 

 gaiters with a soft yellowish dust, and sometimes even inter- 

 fering with the breathing of the dogs. This condition is usually 

 followed by a fine harvest of well-ripened heather seed, and 

 the importance of heather seed as a form of food may be seen 

 at a glance from the figures given in Tables II. and III. 



It is often stated that in seasons when the corn has ripened 

 well and early, the stock of Grouse in the following spring is 

 healthy and vigorous, and the breeding season a good one ; 

 from this it has been argued that the same weather which has 

 resulted in a good crop of grain has also produced a good crop 

 of heather seed. This factor, too, may have something to do 

 with the difference in the numbers of Grouse which moors 

 in different parts of the country are capable of carrying. It 

 is well known that the number of Grouse on a moor does not 

 depend upon the area of heather land, for in the thinly-stocked 

 moors of the west of Scotland the heather growth is stronger 

 than in the south of Scotland, where in many districts there 

 is a larger stock of birds. Even in Yorkshire, Lancashire, 

 and Derbyshire the ground does not appear to be better suited 

 for the growth of heather than in Scotland, yet in these counties 



