Willmar tribune., 1909-10-27

called the chronic. or endemic, form
Of the disease. which appears to be
wasting and usually fatal illness.
In the earlier stages the bird is less
strong on the wing than ordinarily,
and changes its station from the
heather to the green ground. In the
later stages the power of flight IL lost,
the internal congestion becomes more
acute, and the microscopic parasites
swarm inside the birds. LOSS OF
weight makes itself daily more notice
able. and the bird mopes about the
banks Of the stream till death puts
an end to its sufferings. Among the
parasites the microscopic thread.
worm, Trichnostrongylus gracilis. is
regarded by DR.. A. E. Shipley. F. r.
s., who Is the chief authority in the
present band of Investigators, as tho
real offender, and he has made valu.
able contributions to the knowledge
Of its life history. Although great
caution Is displayed by DR.. Shipley in
giving any statement as final, it seems
fairly we'll established that, owing to
some earlier cause which reduces the
birds vitality and powers of resist.
ance, these parasites are able to de-
velop to such an abnormal extent
that the bird succumbs to their at.
tacks.
This brings us to the predisposing
causes which make a grouse unable
to resist the chronic wasting form OF
illness. Is it possible that Prof. Klein
was right and that a form Of pne,l-
monia exists among the birds, which.
even If 1t does not carry them oil, pre-
| disposes them to injury from the
| wasting form of the disease? It can
| not be said that in the interim reports
of the committee of inquiry any great
leaning to this view is to be discov-
cred. During 1905, 1906 and 1907 the
very large number of field observers,
, amounting to several hundreds, asso.
| ciated with the committee did not de
tect one instance of the acute pneu.
monic form of the disease. and Mr.,
Wilson has observed that some of the
symptoms relied on by Prof. Klein in
his published monograph are not con.
elusive evidence of it's existence. Il
seems. therefore, that the committee
are rather reluctant on the one hand
to admit Klein's grouse e-pneumonia,
and yet are at loss to explain why
otherwise it Is that the birds become
susceptible to the wasting sickness.
Within the last few days the Zoo.
logical society of London has issued
a series Of papers by DR.. A. E. Ship.
ley on the parasitic organisms Of
which the grouse is host In these
papers the value to be attached to DR.
Cobbold's early observations is fully
apparent. The larvae OF the thread,
worms which prey upon the red
grouse exist in abundance in every
square foot of heather, and no doubt
10 felt that under certain conditions
at present undetetmined-the lar
vac reach the two important organs
of the bird, the lungs and the liver
Referring to the extreme difficulty, IL
consequence of their microscopic di
mensions, of finding the ova upon tho
heather, either on the stalks or in tn,
buds (thought they exist in counties:
thousands), DR.. Shipley mentions q
new and peculiarly successful method
of examination, wh:ch he hit upon IL
the autumn of last year, whilst visit
ing at Beaufort castle. A handful o
heather placed In bottle is soaked
In little water for some hours: ulti
. mately the sediment after suitable
treatment is examined microscopical
; ly for larvae, and that with unvaryine
wealth Of material. It is stated that
, the exact relations of the grouse.f,
? (Ornithomyia lagopodis) to the grouse
Is not known.