54 TETRAONIDJS. 



did not get a shot ; but as they flew wildly past my companion 

 and myself, several were brought down at very long shots, rather 

 after the manner of wild fowl {Anatida) than of grouse shooting. 



On first observing the hoary greyish appearance of the moun- 

 tains about Aberarder, and being told that they were good grouse 

 ground, I was much surprised, and became anxious to ascertain 

 its cause. An examination of the localities showed that it arose 

 wholly from the preponderance of the rein-deer lichen (Cladonia 

 rangiferina, Linn., sp.) over that of the heath, this lowly crypto- 

 gamic plant prevailing to such an extent as to make the mountain 

 sides and tops appear hoary even from the distance of many 

 miles. They have the aspect of being bare of vegetation, or as if 

 the heath had been burnt off them. A hill over which we one 

 day shot, was covered with soft round cushions of this plant ; not 

 more than a little sprig of heath, occasionally rising through it. 

 The summit of Cairngregor, the highest mountain in the shooting 

 ground, is wholly of a pale greyish hue from the predominance 

 of that lichen ; but here and there through it the Lecidea fusco- 

 lutea* (Dickson, sp.), in snowy-white patches about the size of 

 the hand, met the eye in an interesting manner, from their having 

 precisely the appearance of hoar-frost. The Cetraria Islandica 

 (Linn, sp.), though not attracting attention like the other two 

 species, humbly bore them company. The Lecidea just men- 

 tioned was also found on mountains of moderate elevation. 



The picturesqueness, literally speaking, of a grouse-shooting 

 party in the Highlands is often extreme. The following note on 

 this subject was made on Sept. hth. Six men with the guns, 

 game-baskets, and bags, dogs, &c, were sent off about an hour 

 before we (five of a party) started to ride to the ground on high- 

 land ponies. The men (of whom one was in highland costume) 

 and dogs awaited us on a beautiful green bank on the margin of 



* A name applied to (lie plant on account of the apothecia being of that colour ; 

 the crust is snow-white. 



