201 



Red Grouse. 



pheasants' eggs hold good, in a great degree, for those of 

 Red Grouse. Thirteen or fifteen eggs are the best 

 number to set, and a hen of the usual kind should be 

 placed in the hatching-box, shown at Fig. 2, page 44, 

 on a clod of turf ; the box should be protected further by 

 being placed either beneath a temporary shelter of boards 

 along a hedge, or have a cover about 2ft. 6in. by 3ft. 

 placed over it slantwise, so as to keep off wind and rain, 

 without closing up the box completely. If any number of 

 sittings are being brought off at once, set several clutches 

 in a row beside the hedge, and put up a shelter roof for the 

 time. Incubation occupies about twenty-four days, and 

 as soon as one brood is hatched off, it must be removed to 

 the place where it is proposed to complete the process of 

 rearing. It is a great advantage if there be a small stream 

 of water trickling near, but the ground must always be 

 dry. The chicks require no confinement with the hen 

 after the first day or two, and may be left to look after 

 themselves as far as food is concerned, which they will 

 pick up anywhere. It is advisable to note, however, that 

 an abundance of clumps of rushes, sprett, &c., is necessary 

 otherwise the chicks may go hungry. If you have heather 

 near enough, large tufts of newly-grown foliage should 

 be spudded up and brought to the rearing-ground, and 

 the youngsters will duly appreciate it. 



The best coop is the large rearing one and run, Fig. 9, 

 page 54. This, in its entirety, is employed the first few 

 days, and the young grouse-chicks are fed within it. Give 

 them precisely the same food as young pheasants the first 

 day or two, omitting, however, the several exceptional 

 articles of diet named as useful stimulating agents. After 

 three or four days the run may be removed, but it is 

 preferable to take off the outside end, and so enable the 

 young birds to run in and out of their own free will, 



