RED GROUSE. 
3 
swimming under the steep rocks fringing the Park moors, and no little difliciilty was experienced in effecting 
their rescue and forcing them uji hill when once brought to land. 
The tenant of a Grouse-shooting in the Ilighlands will do well to hear in mind that his own interests 
arc promoted hy keeping on good terms witli the farmers, and more particularly with the shepherds. 
TV hen it is considered that the latter are over the ground much more frequently than even the most 
energetic of gamekeepers, and if so inclined can report anything going wrong, the advantage of making 
allies of them will be easily recognized. I found it a good plan to give to each shepherd one penny a head 
for every Grouse bagged on liis heat ; he was then certain to do his utmost to preserve the nests and 
young birds and promote sport. Unless these men have an interest in increasing the stock of £?ame, 
they can scarcely be expected to exercise much care in looking after tlieir dogs, and there is certainly no 
noise poacher than a Highland collie when left unrestrained and allowed to jirocure his own living; old 
birds arc frequently caught on their nests, and the eggs or the helpless downy mites are swallowed whole. 
It is an easy matter for any one w'ho takes the trouble to look at the droppings of a collie to ascertain if 
he has been living on eggs or young birds. While driving near Lairg in Sutherland I detected a couple 
of collies in the act of snapping up a brood of Black Game in one of the fir-woods by the roadside ; the 
}.oung birds were just able to top the heather, but the dogs sprung up and seized them wdiile on wing, 
clearing off the whole number in a fe^v minutes; the old Greylien fought well for her offspring, 
but httle or no attention was paid to lier attacks. On another occasion while wntching for som'e 
Red-necked Bhalaropes that frequented the shores of Loch Craggie, a few miles to the north of Loch Shin, 
a colhe came in view working backwards and forwards in the most deliberate manner on the slopin<>* 
hill-suie. A few minutes later it was ascertained that the dog was slowly but steadily driving a blue hare 
down to the sandy shores of the loch; and liaving at last forced it on to a bank of fine gravel that stretched 
some distance into the water, he immediately rushed on and seized his victim, apparently paralyzed with 
fear and utterly at a loss which way to turn for safety. In a marvelously short time, three or four minutes 
at the most, that unfortunate hare entirely disappeared, the skull and bones having been crunched up 
W, h the e. , and the flock finally koltcd. Paobably the gall, n hich ia usually rejected by foxes d„!s 
and seinral of the birds of prey, was left, though our glasses were not sufficiently powerful to detect Hie 
shgldostmoosolonthespot wheao the feast had boon held. Peon, the skilful n.aunee in wbia tt luie 
tbartw' ' intended x.ct.m and dashed in as soon as the spit of sand was reached, it was obvious 
that this was not the first time the performance had been enacted I have often lienvrl i i i • 
-- ::: - rz- - - — 
— z;atZd“ :: - r “• 
masters, these clever and tractable aniuuals are of farToi-olZic^^ " 
Una lew of the wild rocky islands off the shores of the Western i 
of one or two up to perhaps half a dozen acres of coarse heather are to be°seen 1 'haTo™^' "” 11 “ 
a few pans of Grouse, as well as now and then a single old cock or two ■ wheil .T noticed 
on these inhospitable shores or had mcrelv paid a llvinoi ’ -f -f • ’ ^ 
broods were ever observed, though Z visitrZou Iv oe':' 1 
and Ravens harbouring about the elL or uestinr oZfhe Z'! TT"’ ““ 
tlieir numbers. A tew of the larger Gulls occasionally resortiZ"7oZe “hZs“a d’Tv”*^ “ 
young on the grassy slopes, would also have proved by no niea^s agreeable neighboui: o 
