76 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 



plunder. Unless a frost occurs the trick must neces- 

 sarily be a failure, but if the cavity becomes properly 

 hardened, and the birds find the food, success is 

 almost a certainty. A grouse or ptarmigan finding 

 what to them is a great delicacy, immediately imparts 

 the knowledge of its presence to others in the neigh- 

 bourhood. They at once greedily devour all the 

 grain that is lying around, and then turn their atten- 

 tion to obtaining the stores lying in the holes. Pro- 

 bably by straining their necks to the uttermost they 

 may be able to reach a few grains, but this only serves 

 to whet their appetites, and they must have more. 

 Consequently they go on reaching till they eventually 

 topple over into the hole, which just comfortably cor- 

 responds to their own size, and in which the more 

 they struggle to extricate themselves the more firmly 

 do they become wedged. When a bird is forced into 

 a hole, even should the sides be smooth, it is not 

 easily withdrawn, as the feathers resist being pulled 

 backwards ; but when the sides are rough the reten- 

 tion is doubly great, and the feeble strugglings of the 

 unfortunate bird in its cramped position are not suffi- 

 cient to enable it to escape.' 



Of late years much vexation has been occasioned 

 to sportsmen in the north of England by the deadly 

 practice of netting grouse with fixed engines. These 



