SHOOTING. 219 



at which time the scent will be found very difficult of recog- 

 nition.* 



* The following appeared in the Annals of Sporting, vol. II. page 

 298, addressed to the Editor : 



SIR, "You must know I am but a young sportsman at present; 

 a mere novice in the science of shooting ; till the present season I never 

 saw a grouse on the wing : but, being ardently attached to the sport, I 

 determined on visiting the moors of Yorkshire, though my residence was 

 at the distance of almost two hundred miles. For a month before the 

 12th of August I could scarcely think of any thing but the moors, of 

 which, however, I had formed a very erroneous idea. I thought they 

 must bear some resemblance to Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, and 

 was never more surprised than when, on reaching Yorkshire, I beheld 

 the very different aspect presented by the abrupt and mountainous moor- 

 lands to the plains and gentle ascents of the forest just mentioned. If 

 I saw no " cloud -capt towers," I beheld very plainly cloud-capt hills : 

 for the first time in my life I saw the summits of the mountains envel- 

 oped by the clouds, beneath which the dark and sombre hue of the lower 

 parts of these heathy hills conveyed, at the distance of a mile, a very fal- 

 lacious idea of their real form and appearance. 



" Your correspondent T. in a late number, speaks much of the anxiety 

 felt by sportsmen on the approach of the 12th of August, which, I assure 

 you, was experienced by me in its fullest force. Like him, I ros at 

 midnight, between the llth and 12th, and ascended the mountains be- 

 fore I could discern the flight of a bird : up to this moment I had never 

 seen a grouse on the wing, (as I have above observed,) and I now heard 

 them chatter for the first time in my life. It was the grey of the morn : 

 and I could hear these birds in various directions, and observed several 

 variations in their cry or call, one of which was an excellent imitation of 

 the words "come back ! come back ! come back /" These matters may 

 appear trifling to an old grouse -shooter, but they were quite new to me, 

 and forced themselves on my attention; my situation was altogether 

 novel, nor do I think any thing can be more interesting to a young 

 sportsman who visits the moors for the first time, than to listen to the 

 calling of the grouse a little before day-light. 



Almost up to the knees in ling or heath, I commenced my opera- 

 tions. My dogs, though excellent, were strangers to grouse- shooting as 



T2 



