The Red Grouse Hand-Rearing. 117 



ever, that an abundance of clumps of rushes, spret, &c., is 

 necessary, otherwise the chicks may go hungry. If you 

 have heather near enough, large tufts of newly-grown foliage 

 should be spudded up and brought to the rearing ground, 

 and the youngsters will duly appreciate it. 



The best coop is the large rearing one and run, Fig. 6, 

 facing page 32. This, in its entirety, is employed the first 

 few days, and the young grouse-chicks are fed within it. 

 Give them precisely the same food as young pheasants the 

 first day or two, omitting, however, the several exceptional 

 articles of diet named as useful stimulating agents. After 

 three or four days the run may be removed, but we prefer 

 to take off the outside end, and so enable the young birds 

 to run in and out of their own free will, whilst furnishing 

 them with the protection the run affords against winged 

 vermin. It is also advisable to keep some traps set at all 

 likely points where cats (wild domestic ones), stoats, pole- 

 cats, &c., are likely to attempt an entry. Every day, or on 

 alternate days, some of the berries which grouse claim as 

 a portion of their food should, if possible, be collected and 

 scattered about where the young birds may find and pick 

 them up. If the supply of natural food be found scanty, 

 as it probably will unless a well adapted spot be chosen, 

 it will be necessary to provide some artificial food, which 

 may be given night and morning ; it should take the shape 

 of that recommended for pheasants at a similar age, with 

 the exception of the grain, which must be limited to oats, 

 wheat, or barley. The broods, as they become older and 

 increase in size and strength, will require more careful 

 watching, consequent on their developing an independence 



