IN PRAISE OF THE GROUSE 5 



from Eltham in the year 1531. Similarly, Charleton 

 tells us that two species of the heath-cock or grouss 

 are indigenous to Great Britain respectively entitled 

 the black game and the grey game. In course of time 

 the name grouse, very variously spelt, has, curiously 

 enough, come to be applied to the red grouse 

 almost exclusively. It may be well to mention that 

 some scholars have sought a derivation of grouse in 

 the Celtic terms grug= heather and -iar=a hen ; but 

 the suggestion has not met with favour. If the origin 

 of grouse, however, be somewhat perplexing and I 

 for one should be very thankful for further light upon 

 the subject it must be allowed that the origin of an- 

 other name of the species is still more mysterious. I 

 allude to the name gor-cock, which appears to have 

 latterly dropped out of use, but which was formerly 

 much in vogue both south and north of the Border. 

 Professor Newton assures me that he has no clue to 

 the etymology of this term, though he thinks it may 

 have some connection with the harsh cry of the bird. 

 My own belief is that it signifies red-cock, like the 

 Gaelic ' Coilleach Ruadh,' referring to the reddish 

 plumage of the typical bird. This view has not 

 obtained the support of scholars ; but it is borne out 

 by the fact that it was current in the seventeenth 

 century. Thus Ray writes : ' The Red Game, Lagopus 



