BLACK-COCK-SHOOTING. 801 



forming small flocks, and at this season thej burrow in the 

 snow, under which they find a warm and secure habita- 

 tion, and are thus enabled, bj pursuing the surface of the 

 earth, to obtain a suflScient supply of food during our most 

 severe winters. Alpine berries, such as the bloodberry, era- 

 wort, and cranberry, with seeds, &c. form their food. The 

 average weight of the ptarmigan is seventeen to twenty 

 ounces, although instances have occurred where they were 

 somewhat heavier. 



BLACK-COCK-SHOOTING. 



This sport is so similar to grouse-shooting, that any parti- 

 cular observations are hardly necessary ; we must, however, 

 only remark, that, as the black-cock is more arboreal in its 

 habits, he is to be found in somewhat difierent localities, and 

 these are more wooded. It is no uncommon occurrence, also, 

 to see a number of them ranged on the top of a wall, which 

 may happen to be on a moor, and in such cases resem- 

 ble and have been frequently mistaken for so many crows. 

 They are not so shy as the red-grouse. 



The black-cock is more a forester than even the pheasant, 

 scorning all connexion with man, and very rarely tasting the 

 dainties of the stubble : the wild forest is his chief delight ; 

 and where it is open, in preference to its woody scenes. It 

 was formerly much more abundant in New Forest, and has 

 the honour, which no other bird can boast, of being protected 

 as Royal game. When the chief-justice in Eyre grants his war- 

 rant to kill game in the Forest, he always excepts the black- 

 cock together with the red and fallow deer. 



The black-cock has now become very scarce in the south 

 of England, inhabiting but a few particularly wild localities. 

 It is, however, more plentiful in the north, and from North- 

 umberland to the northern parts of Scotland this bird pre- 



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