10 BED GKOUSE,
While awaiting the commencement of a ante for Black Game OH the hill of Kerromore, to the south
of the Lyon, in Decou.lier 1S117, 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 hi tho act of stretching over lo ascertain the
position of the healers, when, with a sudden rush of wind, a bird dashed past with incredible speed; Laving
Buffered merely from a slight derangement of my atalking-eap (evidently hrushed by tho pi a ion-feat hers
of n wing), I TAMED in time to discern a Grouse disappearing on the sky-line over an adjacent brae.
Though 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 duriug
the latter half of December 1880, the weather being exceedingly severe at the time, he freipiently observed
arouse feeding in large packs, sometimes numbering over a hundred, on tho stubbles. Occasionally a few
were noticed to fly up and settle on the stunted whitethorn bushes and commence feeding on tho Hps
and haws; while so engaged he succeeded in shooting six or seven brace.
While shooting on tho moors in the west of Perthshire during winter I hove often killed old cocks
exhibiting a larger number of white feathers about the breast and Wily than I have noticed in other parts
of the Highlands. The adult male figured on tha Plato represents a fine specimen obtained in Glenlyon
in Decemlier lbOO; this bird was, however, by no means so strongly markcJ with white as many others
seen and shot in the same locality.