7.V PRAISE OF THE GROUSE 



' gor ' must refer to the red plumage of the bird, when- 

 soever it may have been imported. 



Macgillivray was fond of coining new names for 

 English birds, and he thought the grouse should be 

 designated the red ptarmigan, The Gaelic names 

 usually applied to this species are Coilleach Fraoich= 

 the heather-cock, and Cearc Fhraoich=the heather- 

 hen. It is also called Ian Fraoich=the heather-bird. 

 The term most employed, at any rate in Skye, is the 

 Cearc Fhraoich. 



The red grouse is not limited in its distribution 

 to the mainland of Scotland. Wherever the common 

 ling or heather grows most rapidly and richly, there 

 grouse naturally most abound. The islands of 

 Scotland are generally inferior to the mainland as 

 regards their properties for growing heather in the 

 dense profusion which the grouse loves to find. In 

 Skye, for instance, the birds are scattered over a wider 

 area than on a good Perthshire moor ; in other words, 

 they have to range more widely in search of food. 

 Of course, we can assist nature considerably by infus- 

 ing fresh blood into our insular races. I have not 

 tried turning down birds in Skye for more than two 

 seasons, and cannot, therefore, speak of, with certainty, 

 local results ; but I am assured that the introduction 

 of Yorkshire grouse into Rum has greatly increased 



