152 GROUSE SHOOTING. 



therefore (after exhibiting a few of the characters, taken 

 by Mr. Childe on the spot, and among them our old 

 rat-catcher*, who is up to every thing, from a foxhunt 

 down to the killing of all kinds of " warmunt" and 

 even the taking of a " wapses 9 ^" nest) we will disband 

 the army ; and, for the future, conduct the partridge 

 shooting on the peace-establishment. 



GROUSE SHOOTING. 



The foregoing observations relative to partridges 

 may be nearly as well applied to grouse shooting, when 

 we recollect that Lord Strathm ore's keeper, in killing 

 forty-three brace of muir-game before two o'clock in 

 the afternoon, had only bagged three birds at eight in 

 the morning. [This, however, is nothing in comparison 

 to the recent performances of Lord Kennedy, and many 

 others of our first-rate shots.] 



The chief difficulty to be guarded against in this de- 

 lightful sport is the manoeuvre of the old cock, who runs 

 cackling forward, in order to lead you away from the 

 brood. Old sportsmen and old dogs, however, should 

 be too well aware of this stale trick to pay any farther 

 attention to him, than to destroy him, if possible, on 

 his first appearance. A dog, who has been used to this 

 sport, will sometimes head him, and be too cunning for 

 him ; or at all events will not suffer him to prevent 

 the sportsman from getting a good shot at the rest of 

 the pack. 



To find muir-game at the beginning of the season, 

 take as many pointers or setters as you can get to hunt 



* To find him, look on the donkey, 

 f Wasps'. 



