Page:GrouseinHealthVol1.djvu/42

14 than when it is newly hatched, for its size prevents it from being completely covered by the hen when cold weather or heavy rain sets in.

The period immediately following hatching, though so critical, is the period regarding which least is known. Few keepers like to disturb the ground at this time, and so the young bird's battle for life is fought unobserved, and only the closest and most patient observation would reveal the true conditions under which the chick's existence is passed.

The young Grouse, even although they may be squatting within a few feet of the observer, are very difficult to find; they seem to have the power of making themselves invisible at will, as they cunningly crouch by the side of a tuft of grass or heather, which often matches in colour the yellow, brown, and chestnut mottled down that covers their little bodies for the first few weeks. When at last a chick is discovered and lifted up in the hand its first "cheep" is the signal for the others to scuttle away out of their places of concealment, or, if they are upwards of a month old, to make their effort at escape by a short flight, after which they are apparently incapable of a second attempt.

It is astonishing how little accurate knowledge we have of the principal dangers to which the young Grouse is exposed.

The practical gamekeeper admits that many dangers exist, and without weighing them too closely in the balance he does all he can to mitigate each of them. He knows, however, that in spite of his care there must be a certain percentage of losses from one cause or another, and it is with some anxiety that he proceeds to the moor towards the end of July to inspect the condition of the stock. The result is sometimes unexpected, often he finds the birds have safely survived the perils of youth, and that the moor is well stocked with unbroken coveys; at other times he is perplexed to discover that the well-filled nests and successful hatchings are represented by a few ragged broods of two or three birds, and a large number of barren pairs. He endeavours to account for the disappearance of the young birds, and in his search for a reason he eventually hits upon something which has some appearance of plausibility, and frequent repetition soon places theory in the realm of established fact.

Migration is one of the commonest theories, and is supported by the fact that few, if any, dead bodies are found on the ground. The migration doctrine presents some difficulties, for the Grouse in its earlier stages is not by nature a wanderer, and a brood is usually found, at all events