10 
RED GROUSE. 
While awaiting the commeneement of a drive for Black Game on the hill of Kerromore, to the south 
of the Lyon, in Decerahcr 1807, I narrowly escaped a collision with an old cock Grouse which might possibly 
have been attended with serious results. My station was on an elevated ledge of rock overlooking the open 
moor, and having crawled to the edge of the precipice, I was in the act of stretching over to ascertain the 
position of the heaters, when, with a sudden rush of wind, a bird dashed past with incredible speed ; having 
suffered merely from a slight derangement of my stalking-cap (evidently brushed by the pinion-feathers 
of a wing), I turned in time to discern a Grouse disappearing on the sky-line over an adjacent brae. 
Tliouo-h I have never witnessed Grouse perching on trees or shrubs, it is a well-known fact that they 
occasionally do so. I was informed by my artist, Mr. Neale, that while staying in North Galloway during 
the latter half of December 1859, the weather being exceedingly severe at the time, he frequently observed 
Grouse feeding in large packs, sometimes numbering over a hundred, on the stubbles. Occasionally a few 
’were noticed to fly up and settle on the stunted whitethorn bushes and commence feeding on the hips 
and haws; Avhile so engaged he succeeded in shooting six or seven brace. 
■While shooting on the moors in the west of Perthshire during winter I have often killed old cocks 
exhibitino- a larger number of white feathers about the breast and belly than I have noticed in other parts 
of the nighlands. The adult male figured on the Plate represents a flne specimen obtained in Glenlyon 
in December 18G6 ; this bird was, however, by no means so strongly marked with white as many others 
seen and shot in the same locality. 
