GROUSE AND BLACK-GAME SHOOTING. 107 



the moss. When this is skilfully done, he appears to the 

 birds at a greater distance than when they see his whole 

 figure prominently coming down upon them from higher 

 ground. I have already said, that if you have reason to 

 suppose the pack are on the side, or at the foot of a 

 steep hillock, only a gunshot in height, the best plan to pop 

 upon them within reach is to come straight over the top ; 

 but under other circumstances, this should never be 

 attempted. 



Most young shots are not content unless they are upon 

 the moor by peep of day on the long-anticipated 12th of 

 August. And what is the result ? They have found and 

 disturbed most of the packs before they have well fed, and 

 one half will rise out of distance, and fly away unbroken. 

 Had the moor been left quiet till eight or nine o'clock, fair 

 double shots might have been obtained at almost every 

 pack, and many would have been scattered for the evening 

 shooting. It will generally be found that if two equal 

 shots, upon equal moors, uncouple their dogs, one at five 

 o'clock and the other at eight, and compare notes at two 

 in the afternoon, the lazy man will have the heaviest 

 game-bag, and his ground will be in the best order for 

 the deadly time of the day, to say nothing of his com- 

 petitor's disadvantage from having fruitlessly wasted his 

 own strength and that of his dogs, when many of the packs 

 would not allow him to come within reach. My advice, 

 therefore, to the young grouse-shooter, is always to wait 

 till the dew is dry on the heather. If he starts at eight 

 o'clock, and travels the moors as he ought, there is time 



