nS THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



In England black grouse are thriving best at present 

 in the hilly counties of Northumberland, Westmoreland, 

 and Cumberland. On some of the high lands of the 

 south-western counties, particularly on Exmoor and the 

 Somersetshire hills, good bags of black grouse were 

 secured some few years ago. Of late, however, the 

 shooting has fallen off considerably in that quarter. In 



BLACKCOCK RISING. 



Scotland at the present time the best black-game shoot- 

 ing is obtainable in certain districts in the counties of 

 Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness, Roxburgh, and Dumfries. 



Of this species of grouse it is the handsome male 

 which attracts most attention ; truly the blackcock, with 

 glossy blue-black plumage, scarlet eye-patches, pure 

 white underparts, and gracefully curved tail-feathers, is a 

 most striking object. The female is so differently clad 



