CHAP. m.J BLACK GAME GROUSE PTARMIGAN. 33 



driven by a falcon into the garden, where he took refuge under 

 a gooseberry bush and remained quiet till I picked him up. I 

 kept him for a day or two, and then, as he did riot get recon- 

 ciled to his prison, I turned him loose to try his fortune again 

 in the woods. Like some other wary birds, the blackcock, when 

 flushed at a distance, if you happen to be in his line of flight, 

 will pass over your head without turning off, as long as you re- 

 main motionless. In some places, apparently well adapted for 

 these birds, they will never increase, although left undisturbed 

 and protected, some cause or other preventing their breeding. 

 Where they take well to a place, they increase very rapidly, and, 

 from their habit of taking long flights, soon find out the corn- 

 fields, and are very destructive, more so, probably, than any 

 other kind of winged game. A bold bird by nature, the black- 

 cock, when in confinement, is easily tamed, and soon becomes 

 familiar and attached to his master. In the woods instances are 

 known of the blackcock breeding with the pheasant. I saw 

 a hybrid of this kind at a bird-stuffer's in Newcastle : it had 

 been killed near AInwick Castle. The bird was of a beautiful 

 bronzed-brown colour, and partaking in a remarkable degree of 

 the characteristics of both pheasant and black game. I have 

 heard also of a bird being killed which was supposed to be bred 

 between grouse and black game, but I was by no means satisfied 

 that it was anything but a peculiarly dark- coloured grouse. 

 The difference of colour in grouse is very great, and on different 

 ranges of hills is quite conspicuous. On some ranges the birds 

 have a good deal of white on their breasts, on others they 

 are nearly black : they also vary very much in size. Our 

 other species of grouse, the ptarmigan, as every sportsman 

 knows, is found only on the highest ranges of the Highlands. 

 Living above all vegetation, this bird finds its scanty food 

 amongst the loose stones and rocks that cover the summits of 

 lien Nevis and some other mountains. It is difficult to ascertain 

 indeed what food the ptarmigan can find in sufficient quantities 

 on the barren heights where they are found. Being visited by 

 the sportsman but rarely, these birds are seldom at all shy or 

 wild, but, if the day is fine, will come out from among the scat- 

 tered stones, uttering their peculiar croaking cry, and running 

 in flocks near the intruder on their lonely domain, offer, evni to 



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