The Red Grouse 55 
drive I was in the best place at the " neck," and fired thirty-eight cartridges, picking 
up two birds. My host, Mr. Julius Reiss, endeavoured to cheer me by saying that 
no one ever killed any Grouse at that particular drive, but I was miserable and humbled. 
Next year I took Archie Wortley to the same drive, and was quite cheered to see him 
kill exactly three birds, with an expenditure of about forty cartridges. I have heard 
shooters say that a driven Grouse is an easier bird to kill than a driven partridge, 
and so it is generally, but at times the Grouse is far more difficult, and whenever I 
hear a Norfolk shooter, who has been to Scotland once or twice, discussing the com- 
parison, I wish I could place him at the "neck" at Corriemuckloch, and myself sit by 
and look on. 
During the actual love-chase, it is common to see a cock diving and twisting after 
a hen with almost the persistence and wing power of a mallard-drake during the 
courting season. I have seen a male pursue a female up and down a hillside for a 
mile, and then back again over the same ground, before she alighted at last in exhaustion. 
The twists and turns of both sexes in the air are remarkably agile, so different from 
the straight ahead flight of the driven bird. The flight, as a rule, is a direct rise from 
the ground of twenty feet, when flushed close at hand. The cock always crows loudly 
at all seasons, but the female only in spring when mating, or in summer and autumn 
when she calls her young to follow. 1 When rising in packs at a distance from the 
gunner, Grouse often fly close to the ground, especially when facing a wind, and take 
every advantage of natural inequalities to break the wind resistance. They prefer to fly 
down wind, and if repeatedly pressed up wind, will sooner or later break back, unless 
skilfully " flanked." The speed of flight varies from twenty to forty miles an hour, but 
when pressed by fear or assisted by a gale they can go at sixty miles an hour. I once 
witnessed a very interesting example of the speed and staying power of four Grouse. 
During a snowstorm in October 1900, I was slithering down a marshy hill on the tops 
above Braulen in Ross-shire. A glorious assortment of stags, one a splendid royal, 
which I afterwards killed, were scattered beneath us, and the excitement was intense in 
spite of the wetness of that part of the human person one generally likes to keep dry. 
The last approach was being made when the stalker Macdonnel gave an exclamation 
and pointed across the valley to a peregrine falcon, which had just made an unsuccessful 
stoop at four Grouse. On finding itself behind the Grouse, the falcon with a few rapid 
strokes of the wings endeavoured to make up on its mistake, and nearly succeeded in 
seizing one of the Grouse. Then ensued a remarkable chase, which we could clearly 
see for a space of two and a half miles. Pursuer and pursued came right round the 
vast amphitheatre and passed us within fifty yards, going down wind at a speed I have 
seldom seen equalled by Grouse. We could not, unfortunately, witness the termination 
of the contest, but during the last half mile, when the birds were still in view, the 
peregrine did not seem to gain or lose an inch. I did not think a falcon would be so 
persistent, as this genus (not hawks) are usually soon discouraged after a "stoop" that 
fails, but I have no doubt that that bird got its quarry. 
Strictly speaking, such monogamous birds as Grouse, ptarmigan, and partridges do 
not hold a " lek," or resort to any fixed spot as black grouse and capercaillie do, and 
1 The cock too often gives notice of the approach of men or dogs by calling " cup-cup " before rising. 
