The new era., 1909-10-28

enced writer's on grouse
affirms that this year
there is belt of grouse
~ disease spreading. If not
regularly. in patches.
from the Lammermuirs and Northum-
beriand right across the border coun-
ties from east to west. LAS always
happens" he observes. when disease
shows itself. some moors in an affect
ed belt seem to escape This is no
great assistance to them. for even II
they have large stocks. which Is not
likely. the grouse will distribute
themselves and occupy vacant sites
on other moors when spring and
breeding start again. so that escap-
ing moors in disease belts rarely avoid
reduction of stocks to the level, or
nearly to the level of the disease-af-
flicted moors." It we'll be seen. there
fore. that the causes of grouse disease
are matters which are of very great
Importance. and call for further light
from the grouse disease inquiry. the
committee of which began it's labors
in 1905.
The literature of grouse disease
nay almost be characterized as .volum-
inous. especially II we include the
,ceaseless flow Of contributions to the
newspapers by naturalists and sports
men relative to the dissemination of
the malady.
Some forty years ago DR.. Cobbold
enunciated that the main cause of
mortality among the birds was the
mischief induced In the intestines by
"a nematode worm. In 1874 DR.. R. Far
pquharson. writing to the Lancet. ex-
pressed the opinion that the disease
in Its acute form was an infectious
fever. OF epidemic Incidence. a view
which received considerable support.
New and fruitful lines of inquiry were
developed by DR.. e. Klein. F. R. g.,
who In 1892 published monograph,
the outcome of ave years study. de-
failing the symptoms. pathology and
bacteriologoy OF grouse disease. He
found that the chief change in its
course resulted from acute congestion
OF one or both lungs OF the Athletes
bird. This congestion was marked ap-
parently In post mortem examinations
and, in Klein's opinion, 1t was clear
that as in acute congestion of the lung
In man and animals. SO. also In the
grouse under these conditions fever
must be prominent symptom.
Lord Lovat became chairman Of a
grouse disease inquiry which was ap-
pointed by Lord Onslow in 1905. but
which. as is not unusual when scien-
tific work Is launched In Great Brit
ain. was expected to defray the cost #
It's Investigations by private subscrip-
lions. Last year 1t iBsued an interim
report. which has not yet received tho
imprimatur Of being made a gove~n.
ment publication. and Is. consequent
1y, rather rare document. From one,
point of view the committee has been
decidedly unlucky in that during the
period Of its investigations no cases
of the acute form of the disease, or
that form IN which the disease runs
like fire through the heather, have
come under notice. The form they
have investigated Is what may be
called the chronic. or endemic. form
of the disease. which appears to be
n 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
inter stages the power Of flight Is 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
EAU end to it's sufferings Among the
s.arasites the microscopic thread