134 GAME BIRDS AND SHOOTING-SKETCHES 



place in the Field, I noticed that most sportsmen were 

 of opinion that Grouse were incapable of flying four miles ; 

 but I have twice seen Grouse on the wing when they were 

 crossing the " Bring," a wide channel which separates the 

 islands of Hoy and Pomona, Orkneys. The fishermen 

 told me this distance, at the spot where I was sailing, was 

 quite four miles across, and the birds must have come at 

 least another mile on the Pomona side from the point 

 where they left the moor. 



Grouse feed much about the same time that the other 

 game birds do, namely, soon after daybreak and an hour 

 before sunset. Perhaps they remain somewhat later at 

 their second meal than the other species do. Those birds 

 which may be still seen on the stubbles after dusk are 

 nearly always parties of hens, who seem to prefer to take 

 their meal later than the cocks. Perhaps it is the strong- 

 instinct of self-preservation in the hens which guides all 

 their movements during the autumn and winter months ; 

 they are far wilder than the cocks once they get into their 

 little parties, and the strolling gunner, late in the season, on 

 laying out his bag at the end of the day, will find but 

 comparatively few of the gentle sex amongst his victims. 

 Also, when shooting under the Kite, one will most probably 

 not count a single hen in the entire bag ; during the day 

 you have seen them making off in little coveys consisting 

 of five to ten birds, on the very first view they obtain of 

 their dreaded enemy, and have not deemed concealment 

 by crouching amongst the heather a sufficiently safe 

 expedient. 



Although shooting under the Kite has been much de- 

 precated, it does not always follow that its use is ruination 



