32 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 



being kept for several years, he departed as usual in 

 spring to the hills, where he annually assisted in the 

 increase of the stock, but did not return to the house, 

 as was his wont, during the following winter. He 

 feared neither man nor beast, and became great 

 friends with a certain dog in the house, on whose 

 back he used often to ride. The following instance 

 of his plucky disposition was related to me on sepa- 

 rate occasions by each of the two guns who were 

 present when the affair occurred. A shooting party 

 were beating the hillside near the house, when a 

 pointer that was working stood to birds, which even- 

 tually rose, and some were killed ; but as the dog still 

 held, they correctly inferred that there was probably 

 another bird left, which proved to be the case. This 

 happened to be the tame grouse, whose presence was 

 quite unexpected, and who considered being pointed 

 such an insult that when the unfortunate dog ap- 

 proached near enough to be disagreeable, he flew up 

 and attacked it so blindly that he was with difficulty 

 rescued from its jaws.' 



Cock grouse, in spite of their general shyness, are 

 very pugnacious birds, and the old males especially 

 show great intolerance of any strangers that venture 

 to intrude upon what they consider their own proper 

 domain. A Perthshire keeper tells me that he saw 



