GROUSE AND BLACK-GAME SHOOTING. 93 



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 on 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 re- 

 turning home in the evening from shooting-ground on the 

 Lammermoors 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 plan- 

 tations 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 one ; keep about thirty yards in advance 

 of them. The man must remain outside the plantation, strik- 

 ing the trees with a stick, and making all the noise he can. 

 The pointer must not, if possible, range out of his sight. 

 You are thus pretty sure of the shot ; but if your man beats 

 through the belt, the birds are very likely either to fly straight 

 forward, or out at the under side. Two brace of old cocks 

 may be considered a good day's sport. If the plantations are 

 very large, beat by sections in the same way. 



Even in wood-cock shooting in large covers, unless there are 

 a number of guns regularly placed between the beaters, more 

 harm than good is often done by a noisy crowd. I never take 



