THE GKOUSK. 



129 



will run out before the dogs, making a chucking noise, 

 and will Frequently get up and challenge, without 

 seeming to testify any symptoms of fear for himself; 

 but by this he warns the hen and poults, which im- 

 mediately begin to run and x separate. The hen ge- 

 nerally runs as far as she can from you, in order to 

 draw your attention from the poults; and, if the 

 poults are strong enough to shift for themselves, she 

 will sometimes make off altogether, in which case 

 good diversion will generally follow. The main ob- 

 ject, however, should be to kill the old cock, which 

 will most likely enable you to pick up the young 

 ones, one after another, as in the beginning of the 

 season they lie very close, and particularly after hear- 

 ing the report of a gun, which terrifies them to such 

 a degree, that you may sometimes take them up with 

 your hand from under the dog's nose. When this 

 happens, the ground cannot be beaten too carefully, 

 If the night should have been wet previous to the 

 day of shooting, grouse will not lie. They will erect 

 their heads and run; and the only chance the sports- 

 man has of getting within shot is to run also; which 

 is certainly not to be recommended, as it will spoil 

 your dogs ; for, seeing you run, they will do the same : 

 you must keep your eye on the birds too while they 

 are running, which renders you liable to fall, and 

 bend your gun, and various other disagreeable inci- 

 dents. Whenever the birds are tickle, a brown dog 

 is preferable to all others, and for reasons which have 

 been assigned before. 



G 5 



