42 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 



snow will drift in eddies before the gusts of wind that 

 drive with such precipitancy, and are sure to assemble 

 in the places where they can get the best supply of 

 food. If necessary, they can scratch off the snow that 

 shrouds the food plant from their vision. But how if 

 we neglect the culture of the food plant ? In that 

 case our grouse must fail. Shepherds have done 

 much to change the appearance of our Highland glens, 

 and to bring about a complete metamorphosis in the 

 conditions under which grouse live in many districts. 

 An enormous increase in the number of sheep kept 

 in Great Britain has destroyed, and is still destroying, 

 a vast quantity of heather. This is all right up to a 

 certain point. Vermin like old heather, but grouse 

 do not. Young heather is very acceptable to grouse 

 as a variety. But the practice of burning great 

 stretches of heather, instead of firing the ling in care- 

 fully selected strips, is much to be regretted. Of 

 course accidents will occur from time to time. No 

 amount of care will prevent a few sparks from a passing 

 locomotive firing a dry moss in a rainless season, any 

 more than it would prevent our grouse being felled 

 by a wire fence or by the telegraph wires newly erected 

 upon some spot where grouse often cross the hill. 

 But pains can be taken to see that heather is burnt 

 by the shepherds in such a way as to meet the require- 



