146 GROUSE SHOOTING. 



than in Yorkshire and the other moors of England : 

 add to which, the sport there has, in many parts, the 

 pleasing addition of blackcock and ptarmigan shoot- 

 ing. Such, however, is the misery of the Highland 

 public houses, and particularly to our perfumed young 

 men of fashion, that I have generally observed nine 

 out of ten of them, however good may have been 

 their sport, come home cursing and swearing most 

 bitterly about their wooden births, peat fires, and 

 oatmeal cakes* 



I have had very good grouse shooting close to the 

 inn at Arden Caple, in Dunbartonshire, although in 

 the depth of winter, when interspersed with wood- 

 cocks and wildfowl. But these birds then lose their 

 fine flavour, and become somewhat similar in taste to 

 a dry red-legged partridge. The Highland shepherds 

 poach them in the snow, by means of decoying them 

 to an ambush with an imitation of their call, and 

 then raking them with a large gun. 



"To send grouse any distance, put some pepper to 

 the parts where they have been shot, as well as into 

 their mouths, and then pack them, carefully separated 

 from each other, and kept as air-tight as possible, in 

 boxes of hops. 



