252 EXTRACTS FROM NOTE- BOOKS. CH. XXXV. 



certain portion of the heather should be burnt 

 every season, so as to produce a fresh supply of 

 young and tender shoots. On these fresh patches 

 all animals delight to feed. The red deer comes 

 from the far off corries, where he has lain in quiet, 

 rest, and solitude, to gi-aze on the short, sweet 

 plants of the young heather which spring up the 

 first season after the hill has been burnt, and 

 nothing so perfectly suits the grouse as these 

 patches. Short as the heather is, it is a region of 

 abundance to these birds ; and in rainy weather 

 they take to the bare spots to escape the wet drop- 

 ping off the higher and older plants. 



Sheep, if allowed to do so, will feed so constantly 

 on the newly burnt heather as entirely to prevent 

 its growing ; and it is therefore necessary to keep 

 them off for a certain time to prevent this evil. It 

 happens frequently that by burning the heather 

 when it is too dry, or owing to some carelessness on 

 the part of the shepherd, the fire gets such power 

 that it cannot be checked when required, and thus 

 much damage is done, miles of hill are laid bare at 

 once, and the advantage of having a constant suc- 

 cession of food coming on is lost. When once the 

 fire becomes thus powerful, nothing stops it ex- 

 cepting heavy rain, or the accident of its burning in 

 the direction of some stream wide enough to form a 



