134 Practical Game Preserving. 



tecting the young is left to the female bird, and a very 

 assiduous parent she proves herself, taking every care and 

 pains over her progeny, and being always ready to risk her 

 life in endeavours to distract attention from them. The 

 young remain with the mother until autumn, when their first 

 feathers are moulted off, and the birds acquire the full 

 plumage which distinguishes the males from the females, 

 between which there is till this time no difference in out- 

 ward appearance. The broods are then split up, the old and 

 young of each sex associating together apart from the rest. 

 The males "pack" to a much more considerable extent than 

 the females, often as many as fifty or more of the former 

 being occasionally seen together, while the hens limit the 

 number of theirs to about thirty. It must not be imagined 

 that each and every bird joins these packs ; on the contrary, 

 a considerable number prefer to remain in couples, threes, 

 and so on, and we have repeatedly noticed males and 

 females together in these coveys. 



The black grouse is somewhat eccentric in its habits, 

 passing from part to part of a locality with extreme irregu- 

 larity, and seemingly quite indifferent as regards both season 

 and weather, But we have mostly found these game birds 

 to be very chary of disturbance and danger, and to prefer 

 at all times the most open places, only seeking shelter when 

 compelled to do so by stress of weather and want of food. 

 Black cock never visit plantations, low coverts, &c., which 

 afford the more protection to the sportsman and natural 

 enemies of the birds, unless induced by thick or stormy 

 weather. It is said by some that the black grouse loves 

 the woods. We have had- a fair amount of opportunity for 



