GROUSE AND BLACK -GAME SHOOTING. 117 



more difficult. I have made a hole in the stone walls 

 which enclose most of the Highland fields, in order to shoot 

 through it. I have also placed a bush on the top to screen 

 myself when rising to fire ; but they have such quick sight 

 and acute hearing, both well exercised, when feeding on 

 this dangerous ground, that I have found it a better plan 

 not to attempt the sitting shot. My way is to crawl as 

 near the place where they are feeding as possible, and 

 make my attendant and one of the farm-servants enter at 

 each end of the field opposite, and come leisurely down 

 towards the birds ; they are then almost sure to fly 

 over your head, and give you an excellent double shot. 

 Care must be taken, however, to ascertain that no sentinel 

 is perched upon the wall, or any high ground near, as 

 there often is at the beginning of the feed. Should there 

 be, wait patiently till he joins the flock. I have also, by 

 this method, often got a capital chance at grouse feeding 

 on the stubble, when returning home in the evening from 

 shooting-ground on the Lammermuirs and in Selkirkshire. 

 In a country where there are few corn-fields, you may 

 get the best sport at old black-cocks by judiciously beating 

 the plantations on the sides of the hills, especially if there 

 are birch and alder in them, the tender tops of which form 

 a great part of their winter food. They are still more 

 likely to frequent these belts if juniper-bushes are near. 

 But great caution is necessary in beating them. After 

 quietly taking your station at the upper side, send your 

 man, with an old and very steady pointer, to the under ; 

 keep about thirty yards in advance of them. The man 



