24 GROUSE SHOOTING. 



heather at nine, fills his bag more surely and satis- 

 factorily than he who goes to work when the stars 

 are up. When grouse have done feeding they lie 

 better, and afford more double shots ; to say nothing 

 of scattering the packs conveniently for the evening 

 sport. Besides, let him be assured that walking a 

 highland moor for twelve hours is by no means exer- 

 cise to be sneered at. 



The grouse shooter should begin at the lowest point 

 down wind, thereby giving his dogs the advantage 

 of drawing up. His object also must be to drive the 

 birds towards some central portion of his beat. He 

 will be attended by two or three sharp fellows, for the 

 purpose of marking down the packs he flushes, as 

 well as turning them into his quarters. If he has a 

 companion, one of the two should make a wide circle 

 so as to head and stop them, for they will often run 

 half a mile or more after they are set. When a pack 

 is on the wing, and appears to have flown beyond the 

 reach of sight, keep the eye forward in the direction 

 they have taken, and you may observe them when 

 they flap their wings previous to alighting. The 

 colour of the plumage being so like that of the 

 heather, is the reason you cannot distinguish them 

 when skimming just above it in rapid flight. 



Should your beat range along a mountain side, 

 the birds will be less likely to leave the ground. 

 When flushed or put up, they will, most probably, 

 fly along the hill side ; and, after a turn or two taken 

 when out of your sight, they will alight, though at 



