The Black Grouse 29 
an-hour. She was undoubtedly an old barren bird, as had she been fruitful she would 
have had a nest claiming her attention at that time. The keeper with whom I was 
staying (Donald Ross, a most observant naturalist), told me he had not noticed hens 
with the cocks so late as this before. 
No sportsman, unless he has himself seen it, can have any idea of the speed 
in running that a Blackcock can attain if hard pressed and made to run, as the young 
cocks have to do when pursued by the old ones. Every now and again one will see these 
young bloods, who have arrived at a fancied state of physical perfection, make their 
appearance amongst the ranks of the old birds. Their pride, however, soon has its fall, 
and when one of the proper masters of the ring approaches to attack, they suddenly find 
that their courage has somehow failed them, and that he who fights and runs away may 
perchance be more successful on some future occasion. Then commences a hurried and 
ignominious retreat, in which the young bird is chased by one or more of the justly 
incensed ones, and endeavours by the swiftness of his feet to extricate himself from a 
position which his own temerity . has brought him into. This is not effected till he 
eventually takes flight and departs altogether. His running powers are really very 
considerable, and he goes for the time as fast as a partridge. No one who has seen the 
latter going down a hedge-row in his best form can assert that the pace is not good. 
As a rule, one does not form a very high opinion of the Blackcock's rate of speed. 
Knock him over in the open with a broken wing, and you will see he seldom attempts 
to use his legs to any great extent unless given time ; even then he does not hurry 
much, but covers the ground with the deliberation and coolness which characterise all 
his movements, not attempting perfect concealment till at some distance from the spot 
where he was brought down, after which he hurries, and travels in a fairly business- 
like manner. 
In the spring evenings the Blackcocks again return to fight and make love to their 
hens, as in the mornings. Fewer birds come as a rule, and there is not the same 
zest and go about the show as in the early morning, and the birds, like all moving 
creatures, are not so lively in the evening when about to retire to roost." 
In the north of England the Blackcocks commence their spring show a little 
earlier than in Scotland. " The most thoroughly characteristic sound of the moorland 
valleys," says Mr. A. Chapman, 1 "at this season (April) is the peculiar love-song of the 
Blackcock. One hears everywhere the strange low bubbling note, and presently detects 
its author in the form of a black and white spot, far out in the centre of some wide 
pasture, or on the moor-clad slope of the hill. Around the excited mass of black and 
white feather sits his consorts, half-a-dozen Greyhens, some picking at the rush-seeds, 
others preening themselves or enjoying a quiet siesta, but all supremely careless, and 
to all appearance unconscious of the elaborate demonstrations which are being performed 
for their behoof. Altogether it is an extraordinary spectacle, and one that is somewhat 
involved in mystery. During the months of March and April the performance is 
incessant ; even in February it is frequently audible on fine mornings, especially about 
daybreak. We have noticed it as early as January 30th, but at that early period it is 
confined to the early hours of the day, and sometimes attended by terrible combat between 
1 Bird Life of the Borders, p. 25. 
