THE GROUSE AND ITS ENEMIES 51 



peregrine without allowing it to increase locally. The 

 trapping of peregrines is easily accomplished when 

 the falcons nest in the face of the sea cliff. Such 

 birds as breed in high rocks in the interior of the 

 country have a better chance of defying the exertions 

 of keepers. Whether the buzzard ever kills grouse, I 

 cannot say. I incline to think that it would readily 

 kill a weakly or 'pricked' bird ; but I do not think a 

 buzzard cares much about grouse if field mice and 

 carrion are plentiful. The rough-legged buzzard is a 

 finer bird, and more likely to kill grouse. I have 

 known of two gerfalcons that were in pursuit of grouse 

 when killed. They share the fancy of the peregrine 

 for the flesh of that persecuted bird the Cornish 

 chough. 



The sparrow hawk is common in many of the 

 wooded parts of Scotland adjacent to grouse moors, 

 and does some mischief in spite of its small size. A 

 female sparrow hawk occasionally cuts down a full- 

 grown grouse ; while the male, light as he is, has suffi- 

 cient audacity to seize a winged grouse. Neither 

 the kestrel nor the bonnie little merlin causes the 

 grouse much sorrow. They may carry off the chicks 

 when a day or two old, but only, I fancy, in very rare 

 instances. I have preserved our breeding merlins 

 for a dozen years, finding that they rear their brood 



