130 THE KEEPERS BOOK 



very early, and with their young broods may be seen 

 flying about from daylight till dark. Indeed, it is sur- 

 prising how anything escapes them. I have seen 

 a brood of ptarmigan, while enjoying themselves on 

 the mountain tops, suddenly attacked by these sable 

 butchers. The peculiar cry of the old birds, as they 

 tried to lure the ravens away, was of no effect. The 

 young brood squatted out of sight as they best could, 

 but the keen eyes of the ravens soon discovered them, 

 and the helpless ptarmigan were duly gobbled up. I 

 managed to shoot one as they circled near my place of 

 concealment, and in the gizzard I found a brace of 

 young ptarmigan which had been swallowed whole. 

 The same tactics are followed with a covey of grouse, 

 and it is easy to see that a heavy toll must be taken 

 off by ravens in those districts where they abound. 



The hoodie-crow and the carrion-crow may be 

 bracketed with the raven as enemies of game. The 

 destruction to grouse eggs by these birds is incalculable. 

 Sometimes a hoodie's nest will escape the vigilance of 

 the keeper. In such a case I have seen the shells of 

 hundreds of grouse eggs at a spring a short distance 

 from the nest. It will thus be evident how impossible 

 it is for game to be reared with carrion-crows in the 

 district. Young grouse are picked up by these birds, 

 even after they are half-grown. I have seen a pair of 

 hoodies endeavouring to get at young grouse which 

 were pretty well grown, and had got their tail feathers. 

 So resolute were the savage birds in their purpose, that 



