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  BIRDS. 
  

  

  waters 
  of 
  Isla, 
  around 
  Keith 
  and 
  the 
  Balloch 
  hills 
  ; 
  scarcer 
  on 
  

   certain 
  reaches 
  of 
  drier 
  hill 
  below 
  the 
  Upper 
  Cabrach, 
  but 
  again 
  

   plentiful 
  about 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  Glass, 
  Beldornie, 
  and 
  Braemore, 
  and 
  

   behind 
  (i.e. 
  south 
  of) 
  Huntly. 
  

  

  Speaking 
  more 
  generally 
  of 
  its 
  distribution 
  in 
  Moray, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   considered 
  as 
  universally 
  distributed 
  wherever 
  suitable 
  areas 
  occur; 
  

   and 
  the 
  Moray 
  Basin 
  contains 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  grouse-muirs 
  in 
  

   the 
  kingdom, 
  from 
  Dalwhinnie 
  and 
  the 
  farthest 
  watersheds 
  down 
  

   to 
  the 
  lower 
  spurs 
  of 
  the 
  Cairngorms 
  and 
  the 
  Carn 
  districts, 
  

   Lower 
  Banffshire, 
  and 
  the 
  Braes 
  of 
  Moray, 
  and 
  the 
  watersheds 
  

   of 
  the 
  Findhorn 
  and 
  Nairn 
  rivers, 
  which 
  form 
  a 
  second 
  Carn 
  

   district, 
  distinguishable 
  from 
  what 
  we 
  call 
  ' 
  the 
  Carn 
  District 
  of 
  

   Spey.' 
  

  

  Grouse- 
  driving 
  in 
  many 
  parts 
  is 
  coming 
  more 
  into 
  vogue 
  than 
  

   formerly, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  this 
  ' 
  resource 
  

   of 
  civilisation 
  ' 
  will 
  be 
  the 
  means, 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  farther 
  south, 
  of 
  

   increasing 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  Grouse, 
  for 
  reasons 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  an 
  act 
  

   of 
  supererogation 
  for 
  us 
  to 
  occupy 
  space 
  in 
  explaining, 
  when 
  we 
  

   have 
  so 
  much 
  already 
  within 
  our 
  reach 
  written 
  on 
  the 
  subject. 
  

   At 
  present, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  are 
  aware, 
  grouse-driving 
  is 
  not 
  practised 
  

   much, 
  or 
  at 
  all, 
  in 
  the 
  deer-grounds 
  of 
  Glen 
  Fiddich, 
  or 
  moors 
  

   adjoining, 
  but 
  the 
  practice 
  is 
  being 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  resorted 
  to 
  

   north-west 
  of 
  the 
  Spey 
  valley. 
  And 
  principal 
  amongst 
  famous 
  

   driving 
  beats 
  in 
  that 
  district 
  are 
  the 
  fine 
  moors 
  of 
  The 
  Mackintosh, 
  

   at 
  Muckrach 
  Castle, 
  Mealmore, 
  and 
  Moy 
  Beg, 
  and 
  elsewhere 
  among 
  

   the 
  Cams 
  of 
  Findhorn. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  severe 
  winter 
  of 
  1878-79 
  a 
  pack 
  of 
  Grouse 
  was 
  seen 
  

   crossing 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth 
  in 
  December, 
  making 
  for 
  the 
  Banff 
  

   coast, 
  as 
  we 
  were 
  informed 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  by 
  Sheriff 
  Mackenzie 
  of 
  

   Tain 
  (Proc. 
  Glasg. 
  K 
  Hist. 
  Soc, 
  Sept. 
  30, 
  1879, 
  p. 
  167). 
  Much 
  

   snow 
  was 
  lying 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  in 
  East 
  Sutherland 
  and 
  Caithness. 
  

   An 
  unusual 
  assemblage 
  of 
  Grouse 
  is 
  mentioned 
  by 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  G. 
  

   Millais 
  as 
  observed 
  upon 
  the 
  flats 
  near 
  Moy 
  Hall 
  (Game 
  Birds, 
  etc., 
  

   pp. 
  48, 
  49). 
  

  

  Mr. 
  J. 
  G. 
  Millais, 
  in 
  the 
  work 
  just 
  referred 
  to, 
  describes 
  the 
  

   manner 
  of 
  poaching 
  by 
  'the 
  hidden 
  hand' 
  as 
  practised 
  in 
  the 
  

   county 
  of 
  Banff, 
  and 
  gives 
  a 
  suitable 
  illustration. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  late 
  Campbell 
  Macpherson's 
  aviary 
  at 
  Drumduan, 
  Forres, 
  

   a 
  Grouse 
  laid 
  six 
  eggs 
  in 
  1886, 
  and 
  hatched 
  six 
  birds. 
  These 
  

  

  