BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 327 
decrease of the Red Grouse, except in Closeburn, where 
as was stated in 1794, "The moors in this parish 
used to abound with grouse."* In 1826 Grouse and 
BIax;kgame apparently commanded the same price, namely 
four shilhngs to six shillings the brace.f 
Sir WiUiam Jardine, writing in 1842, says : " The Red 
Grouse is stiU plentiful in Scotland and England, but is now 
more sparingly spread over the southern districts of the 
former ,■ upon the moors it is weU known that not a tenth 
of the former number of birds at present exist, and it is 
only m the more remote districts, where access and accom- 
modation for sportsmen are still in some degree wanting, 
numbeiT-t^'^ ^ ^ anything like their former 
Those of us who shoot have probably pleasant recollec- 
tions of short but sweet Grouse-drives off stubble-fields, 
particularly on wet or damp afternoons, when the « stooks ' 
seem to possess a more than usual attraction for the Grouse 
It IS, therefore, interesting to note that this habit of eating 
gram has been acquired in comparatively recent years 
or m 1837 " W. L." states : " It was formerly believed Zt 
the Muirhen, as the female of the Redgrouse was caUed . 
kept her young aloof from the haunts of men, and from all 
human cultivation; so neither would she approach his 
dwelhng nor eat grain herself. That of old times this had 
been the case I make no doubt, because I weU recoUect 
When such a thing was unknown in this district, and this 
behef was corroborated by a proverb in ancient rhyme : " 
" 3?*® Muirhen has sworn by her rough shin 
bhe sal§ never taste o' the earle's|| wia.^ •' 
and the writer goes on to say that it is supposed that the 
* Stat. Acct. Scot., Vol. XIII., p. 243. 
t Dumfries Courier, September 28th, 1826. 
t Nat. Lib., 1842, Vol. XII., p. 90. 
§ Shall. 
II Countryman's. 
H Harvest. 
