58 The Natural History of British Game Birds 
with rich red-brown, are from seven to twelve in number, measuring 1.75 by 1.32 
inches. 
Some observers are of opinion that frost is most injurious to Grouse eggs, but I 
do not think that 10° to 15° of frost will hurt them at all, although we know that such 
a temperature would mean ruin to pheasants' eggs. Some of the best Grouse seasons 
of late years have followed very cold springs, when the eggs had to withstand such 
cold as above mentioned before the birds began to sit. I have heard of instances 
where a greyhen has laid eggs in the nest of a Grouse. 
The young run swiftly almost as soon as they are hatched, and are very carefully 
attended by the mother, whilst the cock keeps guard on adjoining hillocks and gives 
notice of the approach of man or vermin in a creditable manner. He is very bold in 
defence of his young, and I have known instances of a very brave cock attacking a 
dog, a sparrow-hawk, and even touching a man as it flew past him. Cock Grouse will 
often fly straight at a man's head at this season, as if to attack him, but they generally 
swerve off at the last moment and resort to all sorts of devices to lure or scare 
him away. 
The hen bird sits close on her eggs or young, but not so close as the female ptarmigan, 
which can be approached and even stroked at this time. Both the female and her chicks 
harmonise so closely with the surrounding herbage that it is most difficult to detect them. 
Once I actually trod on a female that was covering her chicks, and she left some feathers 
under my boot in her hurried departure. 
Young Grouse are very difficult to rear. I succeeded at the third attempt in bringing 
up four out of a clutch of eight, under a bantam hen. The young fly quite well even 
when no bigger than sparrows. It is not difficult to get the young to eat ants' eggs, 
insects, eggs, meal, clover, and young heather shoots ; but they, like young blackgame, 
have a way of dying suddenly, without any apparent cause. The difficulty is, I think, 
as my friend Mr. Hugh Wormald suggests, to get them the right insects and grass 
seeds. Mr. Wormald, who has been most successful in rearing young birds of different 
species, furnishes me with the following interesting notes of the plumage of some 
young Red Grouse he attempted to rear : — 
" 1st Day.— Dov/n yellowish brown, marked with black and dark brown ; the top of the head 
gives them the appearance of having brown caps on. Feet and legs thick and covered with 
yellowish grey down. Some of the brood much yellower than others. Beaks very short and 
small, black ; the feet are 1 furred ' almost as far as the claws. 
" 3rd Day.— Primaries and secondaries just beginning to show. 
" ith Day.— Primaries and primary coverts going well, dark brown with lighter yellow edges. 
"yth Day.— Scapulars just showing, all the wing feathers growing fast. 
"gth Day.— Primaries, secondaries, and both wing coverts well developed; tails coming in 
and scapulars growing fast. 
" 10//2 Day.— All dead." 
When flushed off the nest the hen flies straight away, keeping low and not going very 
far. On settling in the heather she runs, hides, or sits watching the disturber, whilst the 
cock flies far away, as if he had no responsibilities. Immediately the young are hatched 
the hen will sometimes not take wing at all, but merely run a short distance, watching you 
