SCOTCH DRIVING 147 



these birds would be taken with the wind down to 

 the lower guns, in the beginning of a new curve of 

 flight to fresh alighting ground farther off. 



Now, the higher level of ground which I imagined 

 above, and which is the most frequent accessory con- 

 dition to a Scotch moor, embracing as it sometimes 

 does a large part of the acreage of the shooting, on 

 which there is little or no heather, but large expanses 

 of grass varied with deep and barren peat bogs, and 

 interspersed with rocks, caves, and gullies, yet not high 

 enough to fairly reach the haunts of the ptarmigan, 

 the eagle, and the fox the level, in short, that is 

 known as 'the tops,' rather than the ' high tops ' is 

 an important factor in Scotch driving, and from the 

 point of view of improving your moor must be 

 carefully considered. 



On these heights almost invariably throughout 

 Scotland, but more especially where no driving has 

 ever been systematically tried, abides a race of old 

 grouse, of wary and predatory habits, amatory and 

 pugnacious dispositions, evasive and exclusive conduct. 

 Now, these old stagers it is of the utmost importance 

 to destroy ; but to do so is no easy matter. It is my 

 firm belief that the presence of these useless, and it is 

 no exaggeration to say destructive, birds has a great 

 deal to do with the scarcity of broods, and the low 



