74 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 



careful to enlist the interest of herds and shepherds in 

 the preservation of grouse. The goodwill of the small 

 farmers and tenants of allotments abutting on the 

 moors should be courted sedulously, and their for- 

 bearance rewarded. I say so, as indicating a practical 

 policy, for these men have many temptations to acquire 

 birds dishonestly, or, as a working man expressed it, 

 ' There can be no bigger poachers if they take it that 

 way.' Some individuals allow their dogs to snap sit- 

 ting grouse. Colley bitches are often apt pupils in 

 such nefarious practices. The story goes that a coun- 

 tryman was known on a certain occasion to have 

 prematurely exhausted his credit at the bar of the 

 ' pub ' he patronised, for he was thirsty still. He 

 then inquired of a friend if the 'laal bitch' was at 

 home. Being answered in the affirmative, he called 

 for the sheepdog, and having taken her to the hill, he 

 soon returned with a brace of ' snapped ' grouse, which 

 renewed his credit. On another occasion the sheep 

 were being gathered a small farmer who had volun- 

 teered to assist the shepherds was observed to be 

 carrying his short coat over his arm with more than 

 usual carefulness. On inquiry being made, it turned 

 out that this rascal had allowed his cur-dog to snap 

 a whole covey of little grouse. The clog's master 

 willingly joined in the illegality ; to quote his own 



