GROUSE THAT LIE AND GROUSE THAT FLY 211 



we had together. I do not like to attempt to criticise, as I 

 agree with you in nearly everything. 



" As far as I can see, the point is this, whether the introduc- 

 tion of driving has resulted in larger bags in Scotland than in 

 previous years? The case that you so ably put forward and 

 support with so many industriously collected facts and with 

 such originality resolves itself into the statement that there are 

 not now so many grouse in Scotland as there were in the years 

 1872 and 1888, which you rightly regard as the maximum 

 seasons during the dogging period. I think the comparison is 

 hardly a fair one, as of course you have taken the very best 

 years in the memory of man. What my experience shows 

 used to happen in the old years was that on these moors (many 

 of them of much larger area than at present) very large stocks 

 of grouse were left in favourable years, and these were 

 augmented as the seasons went on till at the end of the seventh 

 year or so there was undoubtedly a very large stock of grouse 

 left. Big bags were made, but it was entirely hopeless with the 

 means then at one's command to cope with those great hordes 

 of grouse ; then came the disease, and swept everything clean 

 away. What we contend has been the principal advantage of 

 driving in Scotland is that we are enabled to control the out- 

 breaks of disease to a greater extent than formerly that is, we 

 kill by driving the older birds, leaving young and vigorous 

 stock ; that we are enabled to keep the birds within moderate 

 dimensions ; and that though we may not be able to have so 

 many birds on our moors as in 1872 and 1888 (nor is it desirable), 

 yet, taking the run of the seasons through, we kill more birds 

 off our ground than was the case in previous years. The 

 seasons average better, but they are not as they used to be in 

 the old days three good seasons, three very bad ones, and one 

 moderate one. Now there are two moderate seasons and 

 probably five good ones. For myself, I should go much farther 

 than this. It is only a series of accidents, in my opinion, that 

 has prevented the grouse stocks in Scotland from being quite 

 as heavy as they were in 1888. 



" Undoubtedly -the grouse seasons run in cycles through 

 some mysterious law which we are at present unable to fathom. 

 Towards the end of the period one sees birds on the moors 

 getting to look shabby and bad. In the old dogging days 

 immense quantities of these birds were left all over the place. 

 Now we are able to kill them off by driving and working the 

 burnsides. In the non-driving era in stepped the disease and 

 swept everything off the moor, and we had to wait in patience 



