METHODS OF SHOOTING THE RED GROUSE 237 



already been admirably stated elsewhere, except for this : it has 

 been assumed that grouse can be driven everywhere, but this 

 is very far from correct. They certainly cannot be driven where 

 they will lie well to dogs all the season. Moreover, they cannot 

 be satisfactorily driven when they resort to the " tops " of the 

 ranges of hills or mountains in the Highlands, where a short 

 flight puts them 500 feet over the "flankers'" heads. These 

 flag-men then have no more effect on the direction of the flight 

 of the grouse than the other " insects " in the heather have, 

 for the drivers resemble insects when crawling along so far 

 below. 



To state the principle of grouse driving shortly is possibly 

 difficult. It is based upon a series of incidents in the perceptions 

 of the birds, which are influenced by sight alone, and not by 

 hearing or smelling. They should first see a driver far off in 

 the direction it is most wished they should avoid flying to. If 

 they take wing at this first sight, then the act of rising should 

 bring them into sight of a line of men covering every point that 

 they are not desired to make for. Local conditions may alter 

 all this, as it may be that grouse have a constant flight, and 

 take it however they are flushed, but generally they have not. 

 The means stated generally resolves itself into a quarter-circle 

 of beaters on the most down-wind side of a cross-wind beat, 

 attached to a straight line of beaters in the centre and upon the 

 most up-wind side of the beat, so that the men farthest down 

 wind are the most advanced. On the other hand, when the 

 drive is direct to the guns with a full wind, the line of beaters 

 will have two horns each well advanced on either side, unless 

 local conditions make one side dangerous and the other not so. 

 Generally they do. The desired flight may or may not be at 

 first in the direction of the line of shooters. The first object 

 may be concentration, either in the air or on the ground. In the 

 first case, the grouse having been got to go towards a concentra- 

 tion point in their flight, are gradually turned to the guns by 

 men who are set at danger points, and either show themselves 

 to or are seen by the grouse at that exact proximity that the 

 sight of the unexpected will have most effect in turning them. 



