ON MOORS, COMMONS, AND HEATHS. 145 



tentative of the widely ranging Willow Grouse 

 (T. albus]. Although highly prized as a bird of 

 sport, the Red Grouse is, with the sole exception 

 of the Ptarmigan, the least dependent upon man's 

 protection for existence. Indeed, it is more than 

 probable that man's efforts to preserve and breed 

 it for the sport it yields, in many cases end in 

 failure ; and the periodical visitations of " Grouse 

 disease" that ravage and depopulate miles of 

 moorland, are largely due to his meddlesome 

 interference with the Moorfowl's economy. The 

 Red Grouse is monogamous, pairing in k early 

 spring, when the packs or flocks disperse them- 

 selves for the duties of the year. Even in the 

 breeding season, however, the bird is far from 

 being unsociable, and all the summer through 

 may be observed more or less gregarious. Ac- 

 cording to the season and the locality, the hen- 

 bird goes to nest from the early part of April to 

 the end of May, making a scanty home on the drier 

 parts of the moor by preference, under the shelter 

 of a heather-bush or amongst the tall ling. Here 

 she lays from eight to twelve very handsome eggs, 

 white in ground colour where it can be seen, 

 but thickly mottled and spotted over most of the 

 surface with rich purplish brown. Their beauty, 

 however, is easily destroyed ; for the colouring 

 matter is readily washed off, when they are fresh 

 especially ; and very often the wet feet and 

 plumage of the brooding hen disfigure them much. 

 The brown plumage of the Grouse is remarkably 

 protective amongst the brown heath, and the 

 sitting bird remains upon her home until almost 

 trodden upon before she will leave it. Although, 

 strictly speaking, a ground bird, the Red Grouse 



