22 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 



to line the nests of grouse, but I believe that any 

 feathers found in a grouse's nest have been accident- 

 ally dropped by the old bird. The nest is very often 

 placed near a little burn, generally under the shelter 

 of a tuft of heather. I have occasionally seen per- 

 fectly open nests, but they are very liable to be 

 flooded. The grouse is one of the hardiest birds in 

 existence, and frequently continues to sit upon her eggs 

 after the nest has filled with water ; but the eggs are 

 delicate, and are generally addled by such unfortunate 

 immersion, notwithstanding , the devotion exhibited 

 by the old hen. It is a fallacy to suppose that grouse 

 like to nest in very old heather. As a matter of fact 

 they prefer younger plants as cover, choosing to avail 

 themselves of the shelter of well-grown but not really 

 old ling. 



As to the number of eggs usually laid by grouse, 

 my belief is that seven and eight are the numbers 

 which occur most frequently Five is the smallest 

 number that I have seen incubated, nor have I ever 

 seen more than a dozen eggs in one nest. Indeed, to 

 find more than ten eggs in a nest is quite an excep- 

 tional event, although probably most sportsmen have 

 at one time or another come across large coveys of 

 young birds. It often happens, however, that one or 

 more eggs prove unfertile. There are records of as 



