AUG. GROUSE SHOOTINGS AND GROUSE. 277 



This year, 1848, on the very first day of the 

 shooting, I happened to be in a poulterer's shop in 

 a large town in Northumberland, when a servant 

 came in to buy a brace or two of " loeU-kcpt grouse, 

 fit for immediate use" for his master : and a brace 

 was instantly handed to him from amongst a great 

 number, which looked as if they had been killed a 

 week or ten days ; at any rate they were nearly 

 putrid, and according to my taste fit only to be 

 flung away. If this system commences so long- 

 before the birds are legally saleable, we may easily 

 imagine what an immense number of grouse are 

 illegally destroyed during the whole season, in 

 spite of all the expenses incurred to preserve them. 



In my opinion this wholesale system of poaching 

 might easily be put a stop to by the pj-oprietors of 

 the land, who, by stringent agreements with their 

 sheep-tenants and cotters, might prevent all tres- 

 passing on the hills, much more easily than the 

 tenants of shootings can do ; and really considering 

 the great profit in many ways that this bird is to 

 the Highland landowners, it seems both their inte- 

 rest and duty to protect and assist sportsmen in 

 every possible manner in preserving the game : 

 whereas, let the matter be glossed over as it may, 

 every lessee of grouse shootings knows how ver) 

 little assistance and encouragement he receives from 



