GROUSE. , 113 



them, for I got another snap-shot exactly as the bird came 

 between myself and the sun ; and, very considerably to my 

 astonishment, down he came on to dry land. When we went 

 to pick him up, the sunlight on his extended wings and head 

 really made him appear as lovely a bird as there could be. 



A little further on a heron flew overhead, out of shot, 

 however like all his kindred, shy and careful. I remember, 

 one morning early, rowing up a quiet and secluded creek at 

 the estuary of a Cornish river, and as the tide ebbed, I 

 punted the light skiff along by the shallow margins, and no 

 less than ten times got successfully within sixty yards of as 

 many separate herons, all busy fishing ; but nothing would 

 persuade them to let me come just the requisite fifteen paces 

 closer. The manner in which they rose and flew away, 

 directly that distance was passed, was most striking, and 

 showed a wonderful unanimity in their ideas of safety. 

 These Scottish herons often breed on" the ground, on rough 

 mountain sides, contrary as it may seeni to their general 

 habits. 



Finally, after a long pull up-hill, we came to the outskirts 

 of the moorland, and " forming in line," as J said, we pro- 

 ceeded to work at once, for already the sun was fairly high, 

 and the grouse might be expected to have made their early 

 morning meal of heather tops rather dry food, one would 

 fancy and to have settled down for a comfortable siesta on 

 the sunny side of the grey boulders, or heather clumps, 

 stretching as far as the eye could see. 



With what a rough interruption the 12th comes to these 

 pleasant morning meditations of the grouse ! What a panic 

 must seize the new broods, and how the old birds' hearts 

 must fail them when they hear the guns, and know the great 

 anti-grouse conspiracy of last year has broken out again ! 

 Our plan was to walk about fifteen yards apart in long beats 

 across the range on which our moor lay; so working our way 

 up to a well-known summit, almost amongst the clouds, 

 where we might find a wide prospect to gaze on as we made 



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