THE MANNERS OF THE GROUSE 33 



two male grouse engaged in combat ; so completely 

 blinded with fury were the birds that they dashed 

 against the wall of a stone building, one of them kill- 

 ing himself with the impetuosity of his flight. 



Individuals of the male sex appear to predominate 

 in most birds, and I have no doubt myself as to the 

 desirability of sportsmen endeavouring to shoot the 

 male birds hard. Not only do more male birds reach 

 maturity, but the females are exposed to additional 

 risks in the breeding season. Mr. D. J. Lamb states 

 that, out of 130 grouse killed near Pitlochry in four 

 days in 1893, as many as 120 were cock birds. 1 

 This, of course, is an exceptional incident, but it 

 points the moral that cock birds should not be 

 allowed to live unpaired. Otherwise they disturb 

 the breeding couples, and become a nuisance to 

 the grouse moor. Of course, birds behave very 

 diversely in different parts of the country. With 

 us in Skye the family parties live together in peace 

 and tranquillity until November, and rarely pack 

 before the end of that month. If they pack in 

 November it is generally in consequence of bad 

 weather. On the other hand, the grouse of the 

 north of England pack, as a general rule, early in 

 the season, and the sexes usually separate. Every 



1 Field, September 19, 1893. 



1) 



