The Caledonian Mercury supplies some details of the sport on
the MOOTS. "We have heard much of the deplorable state of the game upon the Perthshire bills and elsewhere; but the first accounts from the braes of induce us to believe there is no disease so fatal to the grouse as the 12th of August. At Donavourd, near Pitlochry, two guns (Mr. Napier and Mr. George Fergusson) killed fifty brace and upwards, all fine-grown birds, in excellent conditiou, and not a diseased grouse discovered on the hill by either sportsman. Mr. Fergusson shot on the farm of Tame, and bagged eighteen brace; the birds there not being so numerous as last year. On the home moor of Donavourd Mr. Napier made amore extraordinary bag under difficult circumstances. Having crossed a pony for a few minutes on his way to the hill, the animal missed its footing on the hard turnpike road, and coining to the ground, pitched the rider forward with such violence as to land him on his head, whereby he was left for a short time com- pletely stunned in the arms of his attendant. A strong hat, the crown of which was broken and crushed in, had saved the head from a fatal concussion; and we are happy to add that the Sheriff of Damfriesshire escaped with a severe shock, and some braises and scratches on the forehead and face. The first impulse was to return home for medical assistance; but, after crossing a few fields to apprize the gamekeeper, who bad been waiting at the edge of the moor, the learned She- riff rallied at the sight of the heather and the dogs, and did not return home un- til the evening; by which time lie had bagged thirty-one brace of fine birds, on a moor of limited extent, and not having reached it until twelve o'clock in the fore-.
noon. This would seem to indicate that if the game be diminished in the hills, the kir moors are more abundantly supplied than usual."
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