462 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



tops should also be well hunted or even stalked for the old cocks which have 

 resorted to these supposed sanctuaries. 



The main advantages of driving are : (1) That it affords a means by which 

 the stock can be killed down to a proper limit ; (2) That it tends to mix the 



coveys, and so prevents inbreeding ; l (3) That as the old birds are the 



stronger fliers, and usually lead the packs, it is certain that in the 

 early drives a large proportion of these elderly undesirables will be killed ; 

 (4) That provided the host has selected his guns well the death is assured of 

 all solitary old cocks who risk their fortune over the centre of the line. 



While these advantages are to be credited to driving, certain items have to be 



put down on the debit side. Unless the butts are occasionally changed, 

 tages of or the configuration of the ground makes it possible to get all the birds 



forward to the guns, it is certain that the birds rising nearest to the butts 



will be more severely shot down than those on the more distant parts of the beat. 



All experienced sportsmen have observed that in certain long drives, unless 



the wind is favourable, a large percentage of the birds first flushed escape to one 



flank or another, and that only a few come over the guns, while in other 

 shooting drives the birds are flushed from high ground, and, even if they do 



unequally. ., , . . . 



come forward, are secure from harm, owing to the height at which they 

 fly. The circumstances repeat themselves each time the ground is driven, and 

 become intensified year after year as the birds profit by experience, with the 

 result that on every beat there are certain tracts of ground which form a 

 sanctuary, while other tracts are overshot. It may be said that the over- 

 shooting of certain tracts is, relatively speaking, not important, for if one 

 portion is overshot it will quickly be restocked from the other more heavily 

 stocked areas. It is, however, very important that no portion of a moor 

 should be allowed to become a sanctuary, for this will lead to the survival of 

 a race of old and useless birds, and thus reduce the annual yield of the moor. 

 While driving is advantageous in a good year, it is a very difficult method 

 by which to treat the stock in the years of recovery from disease. In a bad year 



the host and a few friends may shoot over dogs and agree only to kill 

 able to bad old cocks ; they will be satisfied with a third of the usual bag if 



thereby they can bring the moor more rapidly into good order. To ask 

 a party of guns, however, to drive Grouse, and either to refrain from shooting at 

 the coveys, or only to pick out the old birds, is obviously impracticable. 



1 Vide note by Mr Rimington Wilson, p. 480. 



