Empty Moors
A rather surprising difficulty has confronted some of those who wish to increase the stock of grouse by immigra- tion. There are moors which are much too heavily stocked. There are others where excess of gulls or the occasional incidence of killing weather have reduced the tale of grouse to a minimum. It would be to everyone's advantage if a few pairs from the over-populated moors could be transferred to the empty places. All partridge preservers know how beneficial an effect follows the introduction of a few pairs from Hungary or other districts. The grouse is the one exclusively British bird ; there are no foreign supplies. But such a transference of birds is found impossible of achievement. The fear of poachers is such that no owner of a moor can be found who will permit even so much as a pair of his birds to be caught and sent away. It is on the cards that some of the islands, though they are admirably suited for grouse, will lose the species altogether. Such a contribution to empty moors ought to be possible, ought to be easy. Is there really no owner of a moor who is willing to export a pair or two of his birds ?
Previous page
