CHAPTER V 



GROUSE- BECKING 



THE capture of wild birds has always exercised the 

 resources of human ingenuity from time immemorial. 

 The ancient Egyptians were masters of the art of fowl- 

 ing, and some of their methods still survive. I shall 

 presently speak of certain methods of poaching red 

 grouse ; but I propose to treat first of the dubious but 

 not necessarily illegal pastime known throughout the 

 breadth of the North of England as grouse-becking, 

 or becking for grouse. Those writers who have 

 hitherto essayed to write about the natural history 

 of grouse seem to ignore one important feature in 

 their habits. Exception must be made of Mr. 

 H. E. Dresser, who published the following note by 

 Mr. Alston in the ' Birds of Europe ' : ' Early on 

 frosty mornings, the cocks are fond of perching on a 

 "know" or hillock, and uttering their clear-ringing 

 " Er-~eckkek--kek! wuk, wiik wuk" At such 

 times they may often be seen to rise perpendicularly 



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