THE GROUSE. 27 



in the manner of a hen, the whole brood follows the mother for 

 about a month or two ; at the end of which the young males 

 entirely forsake her, and continue in great harmony together till 

 the beginning of spring. At this season they begin, for the first 

 time, to feel the genial access ; and then adieu to all their form- 

 er friendship ! They begin to consider each other as rivals ; and 

 the rage of concupiscence quite extinguishes the spirit of so- 

 ciety. They fight each other like game cocks ; and at that time 

 are so inattentive to their own safety, that it often happens that 

 two or three are killed at a shot. It is probable, that in these 

 contests, the bird which comes off victorious, takes possession of 

 the female seraglio, as it is certain they have no faithful attach- 

 ment.'* 



The above account is copied from Goldsmith, nor will I 

 pledge myself for its accuracy. What he calls the cock of the 

 wood is certainly unknown in England : the bird to which he 

 alludes is occasionally met with, I believe, in some parts of Scot- 

 land ; but whether so large as to weigh fourteen pounds is 

 doubtful. It is a lamentable circumstance that little dependence 

 can be placed upon our natural histories, as the historians them- 

 selves appear to have no more knowledge of the subject than 

 what they gained in their study from the perusal of anterior 

 works upon the same subject ; therefore, their descriptions can 

 only be relied on, where they happen to be corroborated by prac- 

 tical knowledge ; while, strange as it may appear, some of the 

 most important subjects (to the sportsman at least) are noticed 

 in so slight and confused a manner as to afford little or no in- 

 formation upon the matter. Such is precisely the case with 

 that beautiful bird, the black cock, or black grouse, also fre- 

 quently distinguished by the appellation of black game. The 

 black cock is one of the finest birds offered to the attention of 

 the sportsman : he is the first of' the game species known in this 

 kingdom, and is to be met with only in a few places in England, 



