8 THE GROUSE 



been of avail for assault on our wary and 

 nimble grouse. 



Who has not heard of the ancient 

 forests which in England from the days 

 of the Conqueror, if not earlier, and 

 in the reigns of many early Scottish 

 monarchs, were secluded for the diver- 

 sion of the sovereigns and their nobles, 

 and hedged around by many grievous and 

 barbarous laws — Leges Forestarum — the 

 rigour of which endured for centuries. A 

 " forest," it may be stated, differed from a 

 " chase " in those times in respect that the 

 former was the exclusive prerogative of 

 royalty, and alone was subject to the full 

 effect of the forest laws. A " chase " was 

 generally of smaller extent, might be held 

 by a subject, and was only protected by 

 the common law. 



The forest of these early days has 

 been described as a certain territory or 

 " Circuit of woody grounds and pastures, 

 known in its bounds as privileged for the 

 peaceable being and abiding of wild beasts 

 and fowls of forest, chase, and warren, to 



