CH. XXVIII. INCREASE OF MOUNTAIN-HARES. 137 



Babbits and hares are, like winged game, subject 

 to epidemics, which frequently carry off great num- 

 bers. Their diseases can generally be traced to 

 the wet weather or other obvious causes, though 

 sometimes, indeed, these animals disappear almost 

 entirely from a district without any ostensible 

 cause ; whether they migrate or perish by disease 

 is a mystery. 



Of late years the mountain-hares in Scotland 

 have increased in some places to an almost incred- 

 ible degree, and hare-shooting in the mountains 

 has occasionally taken the place of grouse-shooting, 

 the birds having died off, while the hares have 

 flourished. Grouse and the mountain-hare feed 

 on very nearly the same food. This circumstance 

 tends to corroborate the supposition that the epi- 

 demic amongst grouse is by no means occasioned 

 by any failure in the growth of the heather. 



In many parts of Scotland an old blackcock is 

 almost uneatable, his flesh having so strong a 

 flavour of juniper : where, however, this plant does 

 not abound, the black game, feeding on grain and 

 other seeds, are as good for the table as any other 

 kind of game. Although the blackcock and caper- 

 cailzie frequently breed together, and mules be- 

 tween the pheasant and black grouse are, though 

 rare, occasionally seen, I have very rarely found 



