442 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



ever-watchful eye upon his birds with a view to the continuation of the race 

 into future seasons. With the sporting side of the question we are 



Duties in 



the shoot- not concerned, and the practice of stock regulation is dealt with else- 

 ing season. _ _^ 



where. But trom the game-preserving point of view it is important that 



a note should be made of the proportion of old birds to young, of hen birds to 

 cocks, of barren birds to the parents of broods. By a careful comparison of 

 statistics thus collected the gamekeeper may be able to study such important 

 problems of moor management as the following : The amount of winter stock his 

 ground will carry ; to what extent do varying conditions of weather and food 

 affect the proportion of young birds to old ; to what extent does the destruction 

 of old cocks and barren pairs influence the number of breeding pairs on his 

 ground. In his investigations into the condition of the birds brought to bag 

 the gamekeeper should remember that the weight of a bird is the best test 

 of health, and he should not scorn the assistance of the spring balance. Every- 

 thing possible should be done to ensure that all wounded birds are collected 

 and put in the bag, a pricked " piner " becomes a ready victim to disease, and 

 consequently a danger to the moor. 



After the regular shooting is over for the season the keeper should, with the 



permission of the owner, do a little private shooting on his own account, killing 



down the old cocks whenever he can, either by shooting them down 



Destruc- . 



tionofoid in the green burns or low ground, or by stalking them round the 

 rocky knolls. If too big a stock is left he must get the birds killed 

 in any way that his master will allow. 



In September and October in England (and in November in Scotland) he 

 will get his first chance of heather-burning, and thus discount the possibility of 

 Autumn an unfavourable burning season in the spring. Doubtless during the 

 burning, season he has marked down sundry patches of old heather which 

 urgently require to be broken up, and he should not feel that the year has been 

 a success unless he has at least endeavoured to reduce these patches to smaller 

 dimensions. 



During the winter the keeper's work is less arduous : the stock by this time 

 is packed and strong on the wing ; it requires little or no protection but every - 

 Dutiesin thing possible must be done to keep it on the ground, and if snow 

 winter. should cover the heather for long periods at a time the keeper must 

 spare no pains with rake and harrow to tide the hungry birds over the time of 



1 Vide chap. xxi. p. 454. 



