214 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



from his regiment. Our united bag was twenty-one and a 

 half brace, four hares, and a snipe. My journal again records 

 " Both of us shot in our best style, and dogs did their part 

 equally well." Wednesday, September 6th, took a rambling 

 stretch with my son over the greater part of our grouse-ground 

 for his concluding day. At eleven o'clock heavy rain came 

 on, and stopped our sport till nearly one ; but the clouds then 

 parted, a hot sun dried the heath, and the evening was perfect 

 for shooting. Total bag, twelve and a half brace, eight hares, 

 and a snipe. My share, six brace grouse and three hares. 

 The above is an unexaggerated statement of the grouse sport 

 that may be expected in Bute, with good shooting, good walk- 

 ing, and good dogs. If any of the three requisite Ions fail, of 

 course the bag will be proportionally diminished. 



I never thought it worth while to take a whole day at 

 partridges in Bute, as all the arable land lies in detached 

 patches far apart from each other. My plan has always been 

 to divide the day between black-game and partridge. My first 

 day was on the farthest extremity of our shooting beat. 

 " September 1 4th. Had a low-game day on Skirles and the 

 fields of Clochnabae. Bag contained four and a half brace of 

 partridges, two and a half brace of black-game, a grouse, three 

 hares, and a leveret." Two of the black-game were old cocks 

 flying rapidly over my head at long distance. This is gener- 

 ally counted a difficult shot, but it is more properly a matter 

 of calculation than difficulty. I found this out when a lad 

 shooting wild ducks at evening flight. Whenever a paired 

 duck and drake flitted overhead, the male, which always yields 

 precedence, invariably dropped, while his mate in advance was 

 certain to escape. Acting on my discovery, habit and practice 

 soon made the necessary distance calculation quite natural ; 

 and now my first impulse, on seeing any bird flying towards 

 me, is to note its speed and distance, and allow accordingly. 



My second low-game day was to Eobodach, a farm lying 

 at the foot of the narrow part of the Kyles. Partridges bred 



