STOCK 439 



of observations upon a moor in Inverness-shire extending 

 over a period of thirteen years. His analysis of the Grouse 

 stocks and relative bags is so interesting that the Committee 

 have obtained his permission to publish it in this work as 

 an example of how stock may be recorded for purposes of 

 comparison. The analysis will be found on p. 440, and in the 

 letter which accompanied it the following passages occur : 



" I now enclose table showing nearly all the information 



I have as to old and young birds for a series of thirteen years. 



" As nearly as possible the moor has been shot in much the 



same way, and the same keeper has been in charge the whole 



time. 



" An effort has always been made to bag as many old birds 

 as possible, both by selection and by driving all the high 

 ground, even above the heather line. Taking the last six years, 

 it is curious to note that whereas the state of the moor as shown 

 by dogs prior to August 12th showed on the average 4*68 

 young birds in each covey, or a ratio of old to young of 100 to 

 234 ; the actual recorded bag during the same years showed 

 100 to 148. The very high proportion of old birds in the bag 

 is, I believe, due to the following causes : - 



" (1) That every effort is made to select old birds in 



shooting. 

 " (2) That the inspection by dogs prior to August 12th 



does not include all the barren pairs. 

 " (3) That before the driving takes place the young birds 

 particularly pack, and so escape destruction. I 

 have often proved that many packs consist of 

 young hens." 



The analysis is interesting as showing that on the moor 

 in question a larger percentage of old birds is killed by driving 

 than by shooting over dogs ; but as the proportion of young 

 birds throughout the season is invariably much smaller than 

 would be expected from the observations prior to August 12th, 

 it is possible that the cause of this circumstance is that there 

 has been a general migration of the young birds to lower 



