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to the sight of man, and are often caught by presenting bread, or a hat is thrown before them, and a noose slipped round their neck whilst engaged in admiring this new object, or they are dispatched by the blow of a stick behind; in short, they may be destroyed by any device that may be employed against them *.

The female lays eight or ten eggs, the size of a Pidgeon's, spotted with red brown, and these are deposited on the earth, in a stony situation; about the middle of June is their time of breeding, thus imitating the rest of the Grous genus. Their food consists of the buds of trees, young shoots of the pine, heath, fruits, and berries, which grow on the mountains. On the Continent they feed greatly on the dwarf birch and black-berried heath, and sometimes on the various kinds of liver wort; are supposed to be monogamous, for if the Hen is killed the male will not forsake her, and so loses his life. Immense quantities of these birds are found in high northern latitudes; the Greenlanders catch them in nooses hung to a long line, drawn by two men, who drop them over their necks; they eat it either dressed half rotten, or raw with seal's lard; the intestines, especially those next to the rump, and fresh drawn, being reckoned great delicacies; a second luxury is, the contents mixed with fresh train oil and berries; of their skins, with the feathers placed next the body, a comfortable shirt is made, and the Greenland Women used the black feathers of the tail formerly, as ornaments to their head dresses.

The Laplanders take them by forming a hedge with the boughs of birch-trees; leaving small openings at certain intervals, and hanging in each a snare, the Ptarmigans are tempted to come and feed on the buds or catkins of the birch; and whenever they endeavour to pass through the openings, are instantly caught. It is even said, that they will not venture to pass a row of stones rudely piled like the foundation of a wall, but will constantly travel close by the side of this humble barrier, quite to the spot where the snares are placed. In Nova Scotia they are called Birch Partridges. In Russia, the feathers of the Ptarmigan were formerly an article of commerce.

The Hudson's Bay Ptarmigan, or white Partridge, is mentioned, from the immense numbers which are taken, and also to express the extra plumage which Providence has allotted it, for in winter every feather, except those of the wings and tail, becomes double; a downy

The only preservative, says my sporting friend, that Nature seems to have afforded, is their alighting upon stones so exactly of their colour, as to render it difficult for the eye to discern them; he killed forty-three in one day above Loch-Laggan, which lays between Dalwinnie and Fort Augustus in this district, and also found Whistling Plover and Dottrell, and frequently at the tops of these mountains are lakes full of Trout and Charr; in one of these, called Coriadar, about a mile distant above Loch-Laggan, small Trout, about three or four inches long, so swarmed, that in fishing with six flies, six of these diminutive Trouts were often taken at a throw.

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one shooting out from the base of each, which affords an additional protection against the cold of their winter lodging; and this is the only species of Grous in North America, tò which that warm covering for the feet has been given. These birds make their nests on dry ridges on the ground, and lay from nine to eleven eggs powdered with black.

Every morning they take a flight into the air directly upwards, to shake the snow from their wings and bodies; they feed morn and eve, and in the middle of the day bask in the sun, which, like our Ptarmigan, they seem not to dread, calling to one another in the morning with a loud but interrupted note, feeding in the intervals, and then resuming their call. In the beginning of October, flocks of two hundred and upwards assemble and live much among the willows, the tops of which they eat, and thence take the name of Willow Partridges; about the beginning of December they appear less plentiful, retiring from the flats about the settlements on Hudson's Bay, to feed on the berries in the mountains, where, in that month, the snow is less deep than on the low lands, in consequence of the winds sweeping the snow (which owing to the intense cold appears like fine powder) from the uplands into the plains. Their flesh is much esteemed by the Europeans at Hudson's Bay; they are tame as chickens, especially in a mild day; in their wildest state, by being driven about and fired at with powder, they grow so weary by those short flights as very soon to be tame. If the hunters see the birds unexpectedly likely to take a long fight, they imitate the crying of a hawk, which so greatly intimidates them, that they instantly settle..

Nets twenty feet square, fixed to four poles, and supported in front in a perpendicular direction with sticks, is the usual mode adopted to take them; a long line is made fast to these props, the end of which a person holds, who lies concealed at a distance; several people are then em. ployed to drive the birds within reach of the net, which when pulled down often covers fifty or sixty. At this time so plentiful are they, that ten thousand are taken for the use of the Settlement, from November to the end of April. In former days they must have been infinitely more numerous. Sir THOMAS BUTTON relates, that in the winter of 1612, he took eighteen hundred dozen of these and other fowl; this capture may astonish us, but the success and appetites of Mr. Jeremie and his companions, will astonish us still more, who asserts, that there were taken and eaten in one winter, between himself and seventy-nine others, 90,0co Grous and 25,000 Rabbits,, being about 1100 Grous and 300 Rabbits per man.

Statutes respecting Winged Game.

BUSTARD, BLACK AND RED GROUS.

EVERY person who shall shoot at, kill, or destroy, with any gun or bow, any Grous, Heathcock, or Moor Game, shall, on conviction, be committed to gaol for three months, unless upon conviction he pay for the use of the poor 20s. for each fowl, or after one month after his commitment become bound by recognizance, with two sureties in zol. each, not to offend again in like manner. 1 Jac c. 27. 8. 2.

No person shall, upon any pretence whatsoever, wilfully take, kill, destroy, carry, sell, buy, or have in his possession, or use, any Heath Fowl, commonly called Black Game, between December 10 and August 20; nor any Grous, commonly called Red Game, between December 19 and August 12: nor any Bustard between March 1 and September 1, in any year, on pain of forfeiting for the first offence any sum not exceeding 20l. nor less than rol. and for the second and every subsequent offence not exceeding 30l. nor less than 201, half to the informer and half

to the poor. 13 Geo. 3. c. 55. s. 1. 2, 4.—To be recovered in any of his Majesty's courts of

record at Westminster, on prosecution within six calendar montl:s after the offence committedOr the same may be recovered before one Justice, information on oath being made before him within three calendar months after the offence committed; which said Justice may convict the offender by confession, or oath of one witness; and on neglect, or refusal to pay, shall levy the same by distress, together with all costs and charges attending the same. And such Justice may order the offender to be detained in safe custody, until return may conve niently be had to the warrant of distress, unless the said offender shall give security, by recognizance or otherwise, for his appearance on the day appointed for the return of the warrant of distress, such day not exceeding five days from the taking of such security. And if no sufficient distress can be had, such Justice shall commit the offender to the common gaol or house of correction, there to be kept to hard labour for any time not exceeding six months, nor less than three, unless the forfeiture, and all costs and charges attending the prose cution, be sooner paid. S. 3, 4. 9. Any person thinking himself aggrieved may appeal as directed by the Act. S. 10.

By the 9 Ann. c. 25. If any person whatsoever shall take or kill any MOOR, HEATH GAME, or GROUS, in the night-time, he shall, on conviction before one Justice, on the oath of one witness, forfeit 51. half to the informer and half to the poor, by distress; for want of distress, to be sent to the house of correction for three months for the first offence; and for every other offence four months.

And by the 13 Geo. 3. c. 80. If any person shall knowingly and wilfully take, destroy, or use, any gun, dog, snare, net, or other engine, with intent to kill, take, or destroy, any Moor Game or

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