GROUSE AND BLACK -GAME SHOOTING. 119 



grouse and a black-cock. They were presented by my 

 late father to the Glasgow Museums, where they may now 

 be seen. I have given in the frontispiece an accurate like- 

 ness of that in the College Museum. 



Before ending this subject, I may put gentlemen on 

 their guard against two ways of poaching grouse and 

 black-game, I believe not generally known. The first is, 

 hunting the young packs, before the moors open, with a 

 very active terrier or " colley." If the dog understands 

 the business, he will chop a great many in a day. On a 

 moor in Koxburghshire, I saw a sheep-dog, accompanied 

 by a young farmer, performing to admiration. I had the 

 curiosity to watch their proceedings, until I saw the dog 

 snap a young grouse quick as thought. The other plan is 

 to set traps on the peat-stacks, or in the green springs 

 where the birds come to drink and to eat small insects. 

 This last may be continued all the season. We often 

 hear that these traps are set in the former case for hawks, 

 and in the latter for carrion-crows. They may be, but 

 any one who understands the habits of grouse and black- 

 game knows what birds they are most likely to catch ; 

 and if this way of destroying vermin is persevered in by 

 the keepers, " the laird " will soon begin to shoot his grouse 

 minus a leg. 



