8 
RED GROUSE. 
Iversons residing in districts wliere the Brown Ptarmigan abounds not having to some extent engaged in 
it, in despite of game laws and other impediments. In my opinion, it is a pitiful and barbarous sport, as 
pursued by a regularly equipped and legally qualified slaughterer, who, even without the labour of charging 
his gun, still less of carrying home the produce of his idle industry, destroys as much game in one day as 
might serve for a dozen.” As this outburst of indignation was penned some fifty years ago, when the 
heaviest bags were small compared with those of the present day, it is hard to imagine what would have 
followed had the observant naturalist perused the account of the 220 brace of Grouse killed by the 
Maharajah Duleep Singh over dogs in Perthshire on the 12th of August 1871, and the 121 brace of driven 
birds obtained by Lord Walsingham in Yorkshire on the 28th of August 1872. 
With the exception of one season in Ross-shire and a few weeks in other northern counties, the 
whole of my observations on the breeding and general habits of Grouse, as well as on the preservation of 
the birds and management of the ground, were made in the west of Perthshire. The most prolific of the 
moors in Glenlyon Avere at a high elevation on the hills ; the deep and sheltered corries and the mountain- 
sides being steep and frequently rocky, hard work was necessary in order to procure a bag. It was seldom 
that Grouse would lie to dogs in this locality after the beginning of September, the month almost invari- 
ably commencing with rain and blusterous weather: a fine day with a light favourable breeze, however, 
occasionally proved an exception, 20 brace having been twice bagged during the first week of that month in 
18G7 by one gun. Eor the remainder of the season it was only Avhen birds Avere taken by suiqulse in some 
gully or holloAv shut in by rocky surroundings that a fcAV shots could be obtained. On the approach of winter 
the Grouse usually joined in immense packs; and after having noted their accustomed line of flight round 
the hill-tops, I was occasionally enabled to secure a few brace by driving. Though the nature of the 
country differed considerably from that in Avhich this style of sport is usually carried on, several shots 
AA'cre occasionally obtained ; concealed among the slabs of stone on a stretch of rough ground, I Avas noAv and 
then enabled, by using a couple of guns, to stop three or four brace Avhile the pack in straggling parties 
continued to sweep past. The Avhole of the Grouse on the hill-side appeared at this time of year to 
gather into one large body ; the magnitude of these flocks A aried according to the severity of the Avinter, 
consisting, as far as one was able to judge, of from live or six hundred to a thousand birds. During protracted 
storms of frost and snoAV Grouse are occasionally to be seen in immense flocks on the higher and more 
exposed moors : in many instances the birds haA'e been observed by tbe keepers to gradually draAV off 
toAAards the low-lying straths and flats Avhere food and shelter is more readily obtained. It is seldom, if 
ever, that any stragglers return Avhen once driven from their native haunts by stress of weather. Under 
date of March 186G I find the folloAving in one of my old game-books : — “ During the Avhole of the month 
it AAas exceedingly stormy, Avith much snoA\\ The Grouse at the commencement of the seAmre weather 
collected into packs of sev'cral thousands on the roughest portions of Balnloan and Kerromore hills : in 
such numbers did they gather that the ground for acres Avas black Avith birds, many of AAdiich must have 
come doAAu the glen from Argyleshire. Eortunately the weather broke up before any general movement 
had taken place, and saved the majority from leaving that part of the country.” Even after the termination 
of AA inter Grouse frequently sutler from a late fall of snoAV, Avhich destroys the greater part, if not the 
whole, of the eggs. I witnessed a terrible storm in Strath Spey in May 18G9, when widespread destruction 
took place ; a keeper in Glenlyon also lately informed me that for the first ten days in May 1881 the hills 
AACie deeply covered AA’ith snoAA% and the AAdiole of the earlier nests deserted. 
Many probable and still more improbable causes for the Grouse-disease have been brought fonvard 
and .thoroughly discussed Avithout any beneficial result being obtained. That the disease Avill ever be 
successfully grappled Avith appears hopeless ; should the landed proprietors as Avell as the tenants of even 
the whole of a county combine and carry out under competent supervision all the measures that are supposed 
