CHAPTER II. The red grouse is scattering Dews from his golden wing, Gemmed with the radiance that heralds the day: Health in our mountain gales; Who would not hie to the moorlands away? THE red grouse, or Lagopus scoticus, is the most beautiful and most popular game-bird, and is more sought after than any of the other varieties. He certainly well deserves all the care we can bestow upon him, while his presence on our hills affords healthful and legitimate sport. Even matters of State are often hurried through, or postponed to another season, that the votaries of the trigger may enjoy for a time their favourite sport. As the 12th of August approaches Members of Parliament begin to think that grouse-shooting is paramount to all legislative questions, and betake themselves to moors to invigorate themselves after long, wearisome nights spent in debate. The The comparative abundance or 22 MANAGEMENT OF MOOR-LANDS. scarcity of the heath-frequenting birds is a matter of concern, not alone to sportsmen, but to the landowner who calculates on getting a guinea a brace for all the grouse his moors will produce, and thirty pounds per stag for forest lands. Grouse are found only on moors, as they feed almost entirely on heather and wild grass seeds, the tender tops of the heath being their chief food. Hence the necessity of moor-lands being properly managed by keeping the evergreen shrub in sound condition. It is penny wise and pound foolish not to keep moors in as sound a state as possible, especially where the rearing ranges are high above the level of the sea. The principal means of effecting this is to judiciously drain the wet land and burn the old heather. Periodical heath-burning is absolutely essential to the well-being of grouse. Yet many gamekeepers are prejudiced against it. We are persuaded that the diminution of grouse by disease is in a great measure attributable to neglecting to burn the old heath. Grouse never hatch in long heather if they can avoid it, nor do they lie in it. Nests are rarely found in heather of more than a foot in length. When made close to rank heath, the young birds eat the decayed fibres and die of indigestion. They are liable, also, to disease from the damp, unhealthy position when they leave the nest. Heather of a moderate growth affords better shelter HEATHER-BURNING. 23 to young broods than when old and high; because the old is invariably bare and thin, except at the top, and the young birds are thus more exposed to cold and damp. The happiest condition in which a nest can be found is in growing heather of about a foot in length, and in the immediate proximity of short young heather. heather. When the heath is rank the young birds are caged in-are unable to rove about for food, and are often found dead in their nests. Sportsmen are apt to be misled by the fact that, when out shooting, they usually find grouse in thick cover. This is easily accounted for. Birds always run into the best shelter on the first alarm given by the distant shot. They have an instinctive dread of the gun. To secure the most favourable condition of heath for grouse it must be burnt by rotation, a certain portion every year, so as to have at all times heather of good sound quality and of the stages of growth best suited for food and cover. The extent to be fired each year should, of course, be regulated by the nature and quality of the land, as regards its capability of yielding the shrub, as there is a surprising difference in the growth of the crop in various soils. If the heath grows rapidly it requires to be burnt more frequently to prevent its getting rank. Where it grows slowly burning should be less frequent. Opinions differ as to the proportion that should be burnt each successive year. We think that from a |