262 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



bad consequences have followed these rare feats. If 

 they have, as is probably the case, stimulated others to 

 improve their shooting and the management of their 

 moors, they have done more good than harm, and 

 merely resulted in an increase in the supply of grouse 

 available as food or sport for those who own moor- 

 land estates. 



As remarked before, the best black-game ground 

 is undoubtedly to be found on the Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch's large estates in Dumfriesshire, while on other 

 ground in the border counties, as well as in Perth- 

 shire and Aberdeenshire, they have been killed in 

 considerable numbers. 



The Duke of Buccleuch kindly furnishes me 

 with the following totals of the five best years on his 

 Drumlanrig Castle property : 



1861 1,586 



1865 1,530 



1869 . . . . . 1,508 [ Black-game 



1870 1,486 



1871 1,429 



These are diminishing totals, as will be observed, 

 and I regret to say that his Grace adds that the 

 numbers are still growing less, though there is little 

 or no poaching on his ground. But I must recur to 

 the subject of illegally killed game, and have no 



