RED GROUSE. 49 



Grouse shooter knows; but to me it is far less attractive than a good stretch across a 

 range of valley and mountain, though attended with fewer shots. I am also far more 

 pleased by seeing a brace of good dogs do their work well, and exhibiting all their fine 

 instinct and skill, than in toiling after twice the number when hunted by a keeper, 

 whose only plan of breaking the poor animals in is to thrash them until they are actually 

 afraid to use half the wonderful intellect which nature has given them." 



The folloAving paraphrase, by an anonymous author, of James Hogg's well known lines, 

 may not be inappropriately introduced here; it is named "The Grouse Shooter's Call:'' — 



"Come! where the heather bell, 



Child of the Highland dell, 

 Breathes its coy fragrance o'er moorland and lea; 



Gaily the fountain sheen 



Leaps from the mountain green — 

 Come to our Highland home, blithesome and free! 



See! through the gloaming 



The young morn is coming, 

 Lite a bridal veil round her the silver mist curl'd, 



Deep as the ruby's rays, 



Bright as the sapphire's blaze, 

 The banner of day in the East is unfurl'd. 



The Red Grouse is scattering 



Dews from his golden wing, 

 Gemm'd with the radiance that heralds the day; 



Peace in our Highland vales, 



Health in our mountain gales — 

 Who would not hie to the Moorlands away? 



Far from the haunts of man 



Mark the gray Ptarmigan, 

 Seek the lone Moor Cock, the pride of our dells: 



Birds of the wilderness! 



Here in their resting-place, 

 'Mid the brown heath where the mountain roe dwells. 



Come then! the heather bloom 



Woos with its wild perfume, 

 Fragrant and blithesome thy welcome shall be; 



Gaily the fountain sheen 



Leaps from the mountain green; 

 Come to our home of the moorland and lea!" 



The nest of the Eed Grouse is placed in a slight hollow under some tuft of ling or 

 heath, which affords a little shelter and concealment; it is composed of a few straws, or 

 withered grass and ling, with now and then a few of its own feathers, and is ot the 

 simplest kind. The eggs, which vary in number from eight to twelve, or even fifteen, 

 are nearly covered with spots and blotches of umber brown, upon a yellowish or reddish 



