GROUSE AND BLACK-GAME SHOOTING. 89 



want of food in the West Highlands ; there is abundance of 

 heath to raise and support three times the head of game, if 

 the climate would only allow it. Protect as strictly as pos- 

 sible, and kill every rapacious bird and beast on the ground, 

 there never could be half as many grouse reared in the west 

 as in the north or centre Highlands ; and the reason is, the 

 humid climate prevents it. 



When I rented Sonachan moors (about 8000 acres of as 

 beautiful heather as ever man stepped upon), I engaged a 

 game-protector, who for many years had served two as experi- 

 enced and persevering grouse-shooters as any in the north. 

 This man came to me shortly before the 12th of August. He 

 was amazingly charmed with the look of his new hills, and 

 could not be persuaded that there were comparatively few 

 birds on them. After the first day's shooting, his disgust was 

 extreme. Standing on a commanding " knowe " at the close 

 of our weary day, and sweeping his brawny arm in the direc- 

 tion of our well-travelled beat, " Weel, sir, if ye had sic fine 

 feeding and breeding ground in the north, ony gentleman that 

 could shoot and walk as ye've done the day wad kill his 150 

 brace, and no mistake." 



Lessees of shootings are loud in their complaints of heather- 

 burning and with reason. Many of them paying high rents, 

 and for short leases, their sport, during the whole term of 

 their occupancy, may be quite ruined by reckless burning. 

 Any good sportsman, however, ought to be aware that, if a 

 moor was left to its natural unburnt luxuriance, the birds 

 would be very apt to leave it for ground that had been burned. 

 I once took a very good moor in Perthshire for five years. 

 On my first arrival, one of the sheep-farmers had just con- 

 sumed a long stretch of fine blooming heather. I forgave 

 him, on promise of never burning again, except under my 

 keeper's directions. For three seasons there were few birds 

 on that part of my beat ; but afterwards they gradually re- 

 turned, and on the last " twelfth " of my lease I killed con- 



