U4 The Confessions of a Poacher. 



The birds are now seen singly or in pairs, and 

 brae answers brae from dawn till dark. The 

 cock grouse takes his stand on some grey rock, 

 and erects or depresses at pleasure his ver- 

 milion eye-streak. Pairing is not long con- 

 tinued, and the two find out a depression in 

 the heather which they line with bents and 

 mountain grasses. About eight eggs are laid, 

 and the cock grouse takes his stand upon the 

 " knowe " to guard the nest from predaceous 

 carrion and hooded crows. If hatching is 

 successful the young birds are quickly on their 

 legs, and through spring and summer follow 

 the brooding birds. They grow larger and 

 plumper each day, until it is difficut to detect 

 them from the adult. Meanwhile August has 

 come, and soon devastating death is dealt out 

 to them. The sport, so far as the poacher is 

 concerned, begins at the first rolling away of 

 the morning mists ; and then he often makes 

 the best bag of the year. It was rarely that I 

 was abroad later than two in the morning, and 

 my first business was to wade out thigh-deep 

 into the purple heather. From such a position 



