THE HAZEL GROUSE 75 



men who are, and the first gentleman I 

 shall put into the witness - box is Mr. 

 Edward North Buxton. He says : "In 

 the densest groves of spruce a rapid 

 scuttling of wings will indicate the presence 

 of a covey of hjerpe, or hazel grouse, the 

 smallest and perhaps the handsomest of 

 the grouse tribe, and, as some think, the 

 best eating. They only fly up into the 

 adjoining spruce, where the brown bars of 

 the breast, so conspicuous when the bird 

 is handled, harmonise perfecdy with the 

 twi^s." 



This writer, though he gives a capital 

 picture of a covey of hazel grouse, is writ- 

 ing of elk-shooting primarily, so it may be 

 advisable to produce further testimony. Sir 

 Henry Pottinger, in an article on "The 

 Shot Gun in Norway," must, I think, be 



