ILLUSTRATIONS

BY

A. J. STUART-WORTLEY AND A. THORBURN

(Reproduced by Messrs. André & Sleigh, Augerer & Göschl,
Universal Process Company, and Walker & Boutall)

NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GROUSE

BY THE

REV. H. A. MACPHERSON

B

CHAPTER I

IN PRAISE OF THE GROUSE

It is hardly too much to say that the Red Grouse enjoys a unique position among the members of the feathered community. Certainly no other bird exacts a similar amount of homage from its admirers, or affords as large a share of enjoyment to sportsmen. In these days of increasing taxation, it would go hard with many of us Highland lairds if we had no grouse moors from which to draw the rates which go to support school boards and other luxuries exacted by the oppressive democracy. Scotland is pre-eminently the home of this splendid bird—a fact to which she owes a very large portion of her material prosperity. It was a happy hour when the Sassenach discovered the pleasure to be gained from renting a Northern grouse moor.

Until then the bird had existed only on sufferance, persecuted by many enemies and little cared for by anyone. It is true that its value as food was always